Topic: Paris battles invasion of Siberian chipmunk
Melanie Reber
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Member # 3707
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Paris battles invasion of Siberian chipmunk
Siberian chipmunks have invaded forests around Paris in their tens of thousands, many carrying the potentially lethal Lyme disease.
By Henry Samuel in Paris Last Updated: 3:52PM BST 20 Oct 2008
Pest specialists are calling for a ban on the sale of Tamias Sibiricus, the Siberian cipmunk known in France as the Korean squirrel. The tiny - but bold - furry creature has five stripes running down its back and its population has exploded in woods all around the French capital - including Versailles.
Experts are advising people strolling in the city's parks and surrounding woodland to steer clear of the rodents, as many of them carry ticks which are infected with Lyme disease.
The chipmunk was first imported from east Asia in the 1970s but a few specimens clearly escaped or were released into the wild, and have successfully adapted to their new home, breeding like wildfire.
"It's impossible to know how many there are overall, but we estimate that at one single site in the southern suburbs - the forest of S�nart - there are several thousand of the chipmunks," said Julie Marmet, a researcher at the Natural History Museum in the French capital.
The inquisitive chipmunks spend most of their time foraging on the ground but like squirrels they flee to trees if threatened. The chipmunks have been placed on the list of the European Union's 100 most invasive species, but experts say it is too early to tell whether they will be as damaging to indigenous species as the grey squirrel in Britain.
The red squirrel population is still relatively intact in France, which is free from grey squirrels.
Scientists want sales of the prolific chipmunk banned as they fear it poses a health hazard to humans. Studies on the colony in the S�nart woods show that up to a third of the chipmunks carry the Borrelia virus which causes Lyme disease - a dangerous nervous condition transmitted by ticks that can be fatal if not treated early.
"The point is that the chipmunks are much less shy than other rodents, so they are more likely to come into contact with humans. We think it is a basic precaution that the animals should be banned from sale in pet shops," said Jean-Louis Chapuis, France's leading expert on the non-indigenous rodents.
posted
We, here in France, are trying to get MPs interested in this plague of Bb carrying chipmunks in the forests around Paris, in the hope that this will be an entry point to get more people interested in Lyme and how serious it can be.
For once our interests (as Lyme patients) CLEARLY converges with the interests of people aware of ecological problems. These chipmunks are an imported species which some stupid people bought as pets and then released them in the wild. They're now upsetting the balance with red squirrels and they also happen to be very competent hosts for Bb and they often carry large numbers of ticks. Hence the major problems here in the Paris Region, which is not considered an at risk area, but I live near a wooded area near Paris and I hear of people infected with Lyme all the time.
I am glad this is strating to come out via these chipmunks. Now we have some allies, the authors of this study who clearly say these chipmunks should be eliminated, and some local Members of Parliarment whom we have been trying to warn for years, they are finally taking some notice.
AliG
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Member # 9734
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Did anyone test the red-squirrels for the "Borrelia virus"?
I feel very bad for you right now Nelly. I hope that the usage of the term "Borrelia VIRUS" is not an indication of how little is known/publicized about it over there.
If it is, then you should be very proud about getting some actual press coverage. Good job!
I wonder if the damminex tubes would work with chipmunks. You could use them as a means to kill the ticks.
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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AliG
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AGGGGGGGGGGGGggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
Chipmunks are so cute and they're EVERYWHERE around here. I never thought of them as being a problem too!
Great find Melanie!
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Melanie Reber
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We in CA have our own problem with the Grey Squirrel...
Identifying the Reservoir Hosts of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in California: The Role of the Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus)
Daniel J. Salkeld*, Sarah Leonhard, Yvette A. Girard, Nina Hahn, Jeomhee Mun, Kerry A. Padgett, AND Robert S. Lane
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, and Office of Laboratory Animal Care, University of California, Berkeley, California; International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Conservation Union, Washington, District of Columbia; Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 79(4), 2008, pp. 535-540
We investigated the role of the western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) as a reservoir host of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. A survey of 222 western gray squirrels in California showed an overall prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection of 30%, although at a county level, prevalence of infection ranged from 0% to 50% by polymerase chain reaction. Laboratory trials with wild-caught western gray squirrels indicated that squirrels were competent reservoir hosts of the Lyme disease bacterium and infected up to 86% of feeding Ixodes pacificus larvae.
Infections were long-lasting (up to 14 months), which demonstrated that western gray squirrels can maintain B. burgdorferi trans-seasonally. Non-native eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were infrequently infected with B. burgdorferi.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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The article quoted here was published in a UK paper, but a few days ago there was a news item on the radio quoting this same research on chipmunks.
And early sept one of our members who lives next to one of the forests where the chipmunks are very numerous was interviewed and filmed with her children on a morning family programme.
She has also been in touch with the Mayor of her town who has been very responsive.
So we are slowly getting the word out.
I think the silly journalist called borrelia "a virus", I also cringe at the clanky title "Paris battles invasion of..." makes it sound as if the chipmunks are walking down the streets in army boots and green uniforms!
Melanie Reber
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Oh my Goodness Charlie! THAT was too funny...and I can't even believe it was over 4 years ago! Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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Melanie The UC Berkley Gray Sqirrel investigation - when was that? I hope that something can be done about the chipmunks in Paris! How long has that been going on? It seems more and more that BB is everywhere. TC Peedie
Posts: 641 | From So. CA | Registered: May 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Melanie Reber: How do you like this title, Nelly?
"Its raining Siberian chipmunks in Paris"
This news item is obviously going round the world, not going to do the travel industry much good. Quite mad really!
Yet the info is correct, there are imported chipmunks that do carry a lot of ticks and that many are Bb infected. It is also true that they are quite tame with humans and very good at competing for food with other squirrel species. And as these other squirrel species are not as good at nursing ticks and Bb...
BUT, the poor Korean/Siberian chipmunks are in no way the only vectors responsible for Lyme over here in France.
Lyme is EVERYWHERE, in every part of rural France and rural Europe, in the forests in the farming areas.
Babesia is a huge problem too, but only the vets that deal with cattle loss (loss of income for farmers)are aware of this. No doctor here knows a thing about it for humans.
And to answer another question: we have ONE LLMD here in the whole of France, you can imagine the pressure he's under from his peers! The vast majority of patients are just not getting diagnosed or treated.
Nelly (Paris-France-I've got my umbrella out!)
Posts: 416 | From france | Registered: Oct 2001
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
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Peedie,
This is a new abstract, although I know Bob Lane has been working on this for years.
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