Mangombi J. B. auteur aut IRD Brouat Carine auteur aut IRD Loiseau A. auteur aut IRD Banga O. auteur aut IRD Leroy Eric auteur aut IRD Bourgarel M. auteur aut IRD Duplantier Jean-Marc auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access The invasive black rat Rattus rattus has established commensal populations in most cities of the world. Known as a reservoir of numerous zoonotic diseases, this species is considered as an urban pest and may have major consequences on human health. However, little is known about the genetic structure of urban populations, although it could help to design the scale of appropriate control strategies (at the city or at the district level). In this study, we characterize the genetic structure of R. rattus within Franceville (Republic of Gabon), an African tropical city that has undergone a recent growth, like many other cities of the developing countries. Sampling was conducted in six different districts of the city, chosen to represent variable levels of connectivity and building aggregation. Genetic structure was assessed using 16 microsatellite markers. Our results suggest the occurrence of a large population of R. rattus that is continuously distributed at the scale of the city, with no impact of urban characteristics or putative barriers on genetic differentiation. Isolation by distance analyses show that effective dispersal of R. rattus is, however, spatially limited to a few hundred meters. Regarding management strategies, our results suggest that rodent control should be envisaged at the scale of the city. specialized Rattus rattus urban areas microsatellites population genetic structure dispersal zoonotic diseases invasive species GABON FRANCEVILLE 080 102 050 299 3 183-190 2016 0952-8369 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067693 10.1111/jzo.12334 0952-8369 [F B010067693] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067693 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2016/08/010067693.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2016-09-05 2017-08-23 fdi:010067693 fre