DSI-NRF Chair in Biodiversity Value and Change, and OHRatSA: Advancing One Health to Manage Rodents and Protect Communities

Prof Lourens Swanepoel, from the DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Biodiversity Value and Change at the University of Venda, is leading UNIVEN’s involvement in a new international project tackling the health and ecological impacts of rodent pests in South African townships. The project aligns with the Chair’s focus on biodiversity, human–wildlife interactions, and ecological health in vulnerable communities.

OHRatSA, funded by the UKRI Medical Research Council and co-funded by the South African MRC, applies a One Health approach to assess rodent-re-lated risks to human health and food safety in peri-urban communities.
International partners from the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the University of Greenwich, Prof Steve Belmain and Dr Hayley Thompson, visited South Africa for the in-ception workshop, hosted jointly by the University of Venda (UNIVEN) and the Univer-sity of the Free State (UFS) from 5-9 May 2025. It took place at UFS’s Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa campuses, near Phuthaditjhaba, one of the project’s primary field sites.
In Limpopo, Thohoyandou and Lwamondo village (Venda) are also key sites, helping to cap-ture local variation in rodent ecology and exposure within the Vhembe Biosphere region.
The team engaged farmers and university researchers to initiate collabora-tive work. Activities will include molecular virology, microbiology, genome sequenc-ing, and parasite assessments to evaluate zoonotic risks. Social science and anthro-pology components will investigate community perceptions and pest control practices.
Field trials will test humane rodent control methods, including contracep-tive baits, offering safer and more sustainable alternatives to traditional poisons.

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