Rodent-borne zoonotic diseases in Southeast Asia: A narrative review

Rodent-borne zoonotic diseases, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, leptospirosis, and rickettsiosis, significantly impact public health. However, there is a limited understanding of these diseases in Southeast Asia, a region emerging as a hotspot for zoonotic diseases. To address this, the authors reviewed the recent developments in prevalent rodent-borne diseases in Southeast Asia from 2000 to 2024. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google, and Google Scholar, using keywords like "rodent-borne diseases," "prevalence," "epidemiology," "humans," and "Southeast Asia.". Leptospirosis is widespread in several Southeast Asian countries. Malaysia and Thailand have established effective national surveillance systems, tracking annual cases and fatalities. For viral diseases, such as haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, most countries lack a structured reporting system. Vector-borne rodent diseases deal with similar underreporting, with diseases like bartonellosis and borreliosis noted only anecdotally, even in relatively-resourced countries like Thailand and Malaysia. This underreporting is concerning, as the causative pathogens are often detected in rodent reservoirs and their arthropod vectors around these regions during biosurveillance studies. Invasive rodents have long infiltrated into human environments and thrive as successful commensal species, facilitating the transmission of zoonotic pathogens to humans. Therefore, robust surveillance systems, often essential in disease control are urgently needed across the Southeast Asian region. Further scientific research and biosurveillance studies are crucial in understanding the impact of these diseases on human health, rodent populations, and the environment.