Detection of Enzootic Plague Foci in Peninsular India.

A Continuous serological and bacteriological surveillance in rodents was carried out in peninsular India i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to detect the role of different species of rodents in the maintenance of active enzootic plague foci. Live rodents were collected from wild and ruderal/peri-domestic situations by digging and trapping for sera and organ samples. During 1989 to 2007 serological evidence of plague was detected in different species of rodents in peninsular India. Plague antibodies were detected in 243 sera samples in three different rodent species. Sero-positivity (0.042 percent) amongst rodents tested were found in Tatera indica cuvieri (Hardwicke) followed by Rattus rattus and Bandicota bengalensis. Regular plague surveillance work enhanced the possibility of detecting and delimiting plague foci and helped in implementing necessary preventive anti plague measures to prevent the occurrence of human plague.

Serological Study of Rickettsial Diseases in Human and Rodent Population in Chittoor Dist. (A.P.).

In India the presence of Rickettsial disease in human is documented in many states however, the data on presence of Rickettsial infection in Andhra Pradesh is very scare. Therefore, a study was undertaken in Chittoor district (A.P.) to see the prevalence of Rickettsial infection in human and rodent population. 3-5 ml of human blood samples were collected from the patients attending the nearest hospitals of Tirumala, Tirupathi, Palmner and Chittoor areas. Live rodents were trapped and blood samples were collected from them during January and February 2008. Sera was separated and tested by Weil Felix test. Two hundred human sera samples were tested. Of these 39 samples were found reactive with Weil Felix antigen. Of the 39 reactive, 31 were male and 8 female. All the human samples were showing reactivity at 1:20 dilution. Out of the 343 rodents samples tested, only 24 samples were showing reactivity. These were reactive at 1:20, 1:40 and 1:80 dilutions with different types of Weil Felix antigens. Eight rodent sera samples were having titer 1:80 with Proteus OXK which is suggestive of presence of Scrub typhus in this region.