Houéménou G. auteur aut IRD Gauthier Philippe auteur aut IRD Etougbétché J. auteur aut IRD Badou S. auteur aut IRD Dossou H.J. auteur aut IRD Agossou D. auteur aut IRD Picardeau M. auteur aut IRD Dobigny Gauthier auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Leptospirosis is caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Leptospira that affect one million and kill 60,000 persons annually in the world, who get infected through environmental mammal-excreted (notably rodent) pathogens. Using qPCR and DNA sequencing approaches, we here examine Leptospira occurrence and diversity in 971 commensal small mammals in urban and peri-urban habitats from south Benin, where socio-environmental conditions are favorable for human contamination. Prevalence reached 12.9% on average, but showed very important variations in both space and time, thus pointing toward a role of local processes in the maintenance and circulation of rodent-borne leptospires in the area. Prevalence peaks may occur during or one month after moderate (100-200 mm) monthly rainfall, suggesting that rodent-borne leptospires may be more prevalent when standing waters are present, but not at their highest levels (i.e., floods). However, this pattern will have to be confirmed through proper diachronic analysis. Finally, an incomplete but significant host-specificity was observed, with L. kirschneri retrieved only in African shrews, and the invasive Rattus norvegicus and the native Mastomys natalensis preferentially infected by L. interrogans and L. borgpeterseni, respectively. Our study highlights the urgent need for investigations on human leptospirosis in the extensively urbanized Abidjan–Lagos corridor. specialized AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST COTE D'IVOIRE ABIDJAN NIGERIA LAGOS BENIN PORTO NOVO COTONOU GHANA ACCRA TOGO LOME 080 052 102 3 3 art. 99 [14 ] 2019 2413-8851 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077516 10.3390/urbansci3030099 2413-8851 [F B010077516] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077516 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers20-08/010077516.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2020-03-09 2025-02-24 fdi:010077516 fre