Plague epidemic was first detected among live rats in Heqing County of Yunnan Province
GUO Ying1, DUAN Bing-hua2, HONG Mei1, GUO Xin-zhi3, ZHAO Gui-hua3, DUAN Cun-juan1, ZHANG Hai-peng1, SHI Li-yuan1, DING Yi-bo1, LIANG Yun1, HUANG Wen-li1, WANG Peng1
1. Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute for Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention,Dali 671000, China; 2. Dali State Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China; 3. Heqing County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Heqing 671500, China
Abstract：Through epidemiological investigation of rodents and indicative animals, it is intended to find out whether there is a rat plague epidemic in Heqing County. We used household inspection and quarantine, as well as to search for dead mice, and to catch rats by cage. F1 antigen antibody test and bacteriological examination were carried out on the corresponding materials. No dead rats and suspected patients was found during the investigation. A total of 354 rats were captured, including 257 of Eothenomys miletus and 29 of Apodemus chevrieri. A total of 242 fleas were isolated, including 181 of Ctenophthalmus quadratus and 27 of Neopsylla specialis specialis. All the rats were alive and healthy observed by the naked eye. The F1 antibodies of 92 dog’s sera and 4 rat’s sera were negative. Ten strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated, of which 6 strains were from E. miletus, 1 from A. chevrier, 1 from C. quadratus and 2 from N. specialis specialis. It was confirmed that the epidemic of plague occurred between the living mice in Heqing County. It was suggested that the E. miletus and A. chevrieri were the main hosts, the C. quadratus and N. specialis specialis were the main vectors. The plague epidemic among the living mice was a new form of the plague epidemic.
2018, Vol. 34 
