Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in urban rodents : a survey in Niamey, Niger Mercier, A. Garba, M. Bonnabau, H. Kane, M. Rossi, J.P. Dardé, M.L. /Dobigny, Gauthier Toxoplasma gondii epidemiology zoonotic disease Africa Sahel A serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii was conducted on 766 domestic and peridomestic rodents from 46 trapping sites throughout the city of Niamey, Niger. A low seroprevalence was found over the whole town with only 1.96% of the rodents found seropositive. However, differences between species were important, ranging from less than 2% in truly commensal Mastomys natalensis, Rattus rattus and Mus musculus, while garden-associated Arvicanthis niloticus displayed 9.1% of seropositive individuals. This is in line with previous studies on tropical rodents - that we reviewed here - which altogether show that Toxoplasma seroprevalence in rodent is highly variable, depending on many factors such as locality and/or species. Moreover, although we were not able to decipher statistically between habitat or species effect, such a contrast between Nile grass rats and the other rodent species points towards a potentially important role of environmental toxoplasmic infection. This would deserve to be further scrutinised since intra-city irrigated cultures are extending in Niamey, thus potentially increasing Toxoplasma circulation in this yet semi-arid region. As far as we are aware of, our study is one of the rare surveys of its kind performed in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first one ever conducted in the Sahel. 2013 text https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060500 fdi:010060500 Mercier A., Garba M., Bonnabau H., Kane M., Rossi J.P., Dardé M.L., Dobigny Gauthier. Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in urban rodents : a survey in Niamey, Niger. 2013, 108 (4), 399-407 EN NIGER SAHEL