Abundance and distribution of Xenopsylla cheopis on small mammals collected in West Java, Indonesia during rodent-borne disease surveys.

During February 2004 and September 2005, Xenopsylla cheopis were collected from small mammal hosts during rodent-bone disease surveys in Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. During 4 trap nights in Jakarta, 4 rodent species (Rattus exulans, Rattus norvegicus, Rattus tanezumi and Mus musculus) and one shrew species (Suncus murinus) were collected. Rattus tanezumi had the highest X. cheopis load (128 X. cheopis from 84 R. tanezumi) but R. norvegicus had the highest flea index, 1.8. In Bandung, over 6 trap nights 3 rodent species were collected (R. norvegicus, R. tanezumi and M. musculus) and the shrew, S. murinus, were collected. Rattus norvegicus had the highest number of X. cheopis collected (407 X. cheopis from 181 R. norvegicus) but R. tanezumi had the highest flea index, 3.5. During both surveys, X. cheopis was the species of flea collected.

Small rodents fleas from the bubonic plague focus located in the Serra dos Orgäos Mountain Range, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Eleven species of fleas were collected from 601 small rodents, from November 1995 to October 1997, in areas of natural focus of bubonic plague, including the municipalities of Nova Friburgo, Sumidouro and Teresópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among 924 fleas collected, Polygenis (Polygenis) rimatus (Rhopalopsyllidae) was the predominant species regarding the frequency, representing 41.3 percent (N:382), followed by P. (Neopolygenis) pradoi, representing 20 percent (N:185) and Craneopsylla minervaminerva (Stephanocircidae), representing 18.9 percent (N:175). The host Akodon cursor harbored 47.9 percent of these fleas. Other six host species were infested by 52.1 percent of the remaining fleas. Fleas were found on hosts and in places within the focus not previously reported by the literature

Pulícidos: aspectos adaptativos y biológicos / Pulicides: adaptative and biological aspects

Las pulgas son insectos hematófagos que se caracterizan por una baja especificidad parasitaria. Son ectoparásitos de distintos animales y del hombre. El cuerpo de estos insectos está comprimido lateralmente y las antenas pueden replegarse dentro de un surco a los costados de la cabeza, características óptimas para un mejor desplazamiento entre los pelos y las plumas de los hospedadores. Los tres pares de patas son fuertes y poderosas, armadas con robustas espinas y en sus extremos con un par de grandes uñas en forma de garfios. El tercer par es el que está adaptado para saltar. Las piezas bucales son sucsopicadoras y modificadas en forma de estiletes. Algunas especies tienen unas hileras de cerdas (ctenidios) en la zona genal y/o en el dorso del primer segmento toráxico que evitan los movimientos de retroceso y la caída del cuerpo del hospedador. Esta característica también dificulta la extracción de los parásitos. La importancia de los pulícidos radica entre otras, por ser transmisores de la peste y el tifus. Se muestran bajo SEM y con microfotografías las adaptaciones al parasitismo, la biología y las afecciones cutáneas que se producen

Manual de procedimientos de laboratorio para el diagnóstico de peste / Procedure laboratory manual for plague diagnosis

Contenido: 1. Obtención y envío de la muestra; 2. Pruebas de laboratorio para el diagnóstico de Peste; 3. Inmunofluorescencia Directa (IFA); 4. Prueba de aglutinación en látex; 5. Aislamiento por cultivo de yesinia pestis; 6. Técnicas de ELISA; 7. Inoculación en ratón

Plague surveillance in Brazil: 1983-1992

A peste, infeccao pela Yersinia pestis, se mantem no Brasil, em varios focos naturais, disseminados na area rural, dos Estados do Ceara, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas, Bahia, Minas Gerais e Rio de Janeiro. Desde de 1983, o teste de hemaglutinacao passiva para anticorpos contra a fracao antigenica "F1A" de Y. pestis, vem sendo empregado ininterruptamente na vigilancia da peste nos focos brasileiros. A especificidade do PHA e controlada pelo teste de inibicao da aglutinacao. No periodo de 1983 a 1992 foram examinadas 220.769 amostras de soro, sendo 2.856 de origem humana, 49.848 de roedores pertencentes a 24 especies e de 2 especies de pequenos carnivoros selvagens (marsupiais), 122.890 soros de caes e 45.175 de gatos. Anticorpos especificos foram encontrados em 92 (3,22 por cento) dos soros humanos; 143 (0,29 por cento) soros de roedores de 8 especies e das duas especies de marsupiais, 1.105 (0,90 por cento) soros de caes e 290 (0,64 por cento) soros de gatos...

Survey of the irp2 gene among Yersinia pestis strains isolated during several plague outbreaks in northeast Brazil

The irp2 gene codes for a 190 kDa protein (HMWP2) synthesidez when highly pathogenic Yersinia are grown under conditions of iron starvation. In this work, the presence of irp2 in strains of Y. pestis isolated from different hosts during several plague outbreaks in the foci of Northeast Brazil wasstudied. For this purpose, 53 strains were spotted onto nylon filters and their DNA was hybridized with the A13 probe which is a 1 kb fragment of the irp2 coding sequence. All strains except two hybridized with the probe. However, when the initial stock culture of these two strains were analyzed, they both proved to bepositive with the A13 probe, indicating that the locus was lost after subculturein vitro but was always present in vivo. To examine the degree of conservation of the chromosomal fragment carrying irp2 among Brazilian strains, the hybridization profiles of 15 strains from different outbreaks, different hosts and different foci were compared. The hybridization profiles of these strains were all identical when their DNA was digested with either EcoRI, EcorRV or AvaII, indicatingthat the restriction sites surrounding the irp2 locus are very well conserved among Northeast Brazilian strains of Y. pestis. Altogether, these results suggest that the irp2 chromosomal region should be of prime importance for the bacteria during their multiplication in the host

Importância dos carnívoros domésticos (cäes e gatos) na epidemiologia da peste nos focos do Nordeste do Brasil / The importance of domestic carnivora (dogs and cats) in the epidemiology of plaque outbreaks in Northeastern Brazil

Soros de carnívoros domésticos (cäes e gatos), roedores, e pacientes suspeitos de peste, obtidos durante dois surtos de peste humana e de roedores, um em 1982, no foco da Serra de Barurité/CE e o outro, em 1986, no Planalto da Borborema/PB e soros de carnívoro e de roedores do foco da Chapada do Araripe/PE, obtidos, em 1986, na ausência de casos humanos, foram analisados pelas microtécnicas de hemaglutinaçäo passiva para anticorpos específicos, contra a fraçäo da hemaglutinaçäo. Os altos percentuais de carnívoros, sorologicamente, positivos encontrados durante os surtos de peste humana, confirmam que esses animais estäo implicados no ciclo epidemiológico da peste, nos focos do Nordeste do Brasil, e representam valiosos indicadores das atividades da infecçäo

Estudo do roedor Akodon arviculoides, Wagner, 1842 (Cricetidae): importância nos focos pestosos no Brasil / The rodent Akodon arviculoides, Wagner, 1842 (Cricetidae): importance in plague focus of Brazil

Relata-se a ocorrência do roedor Akodon arviculoides (Wagner, 1842) no foco pestoso do Agreste pernambucano, sua capacidade de sobrevivência, reproduçäo e o desenvolvimento no cativeiro, a susceptibilidade à infecçäo pela Yersinia pestis e a importância desse roedor nos focos pestosos do Brasil

A study of small mammals in the Ciloto field station area, West Java, Indonesia, with special reference to vectors of plague and scrub typhus.

From June 1977 to June 1978 a study of smal mammals was carried out in the Ciloto field station area, West Java, Indonesia by the WHO Vector Biology and Control Research Unit-II. The objectives of the investigations were to determine the diversity and density of rodent species, to find potential plague and scrub typhus vectors and to study their host-parasite relationships. In the 13 month period a total of 6 species of murids were identified; two species of campestral rats (R. tiomanicus and R. argentiventer), one species of peri-domestic (R. exulans), one species of domestic (R.r. diardii), and two species of forest rats (R. bartelsii and R. bukit). In addition, three species of insectivores (Suncus murinus, Hylomys suillus and Crocidura monticola), and one species of carnivore were found. Of the three habitats studies (mixed, ricefield and lalang), 10 species of small mammals were found in the mixed while four species of commensal murids were found in both the ricefield and the lalang. Of the four commensal murid species R. exulans had the highest density. R. tiomanicus was common but not abundant, and least common was R. argentiventer. R.r. diardii was occasionally found in the field. The mean litter size of gravid R. tiomanicus was 7.1, R. exulans 4.3, R. argentiventer 7.5 and R.r. diardii 9. Male R. tiomanicus, R. argentiventer and R.r. diardii with spermatozoa present in animals over 55 gm. Animals of less than 50 gm had no sperm. In R. exulans spermatozoa were present in specimens weighing 24-66 gm. No sperm were detected in those below 20 gm. The flea index of Xenopsylla cheopis and Stivalius cognatus as determined for R. tiomanicus was 0.3 and 2.3;l for R.r. diardii 2.2 and 1.7; for R. exulans 0.3 and 0.5; and for R. argentiventer 0.4 and 1.7 respectively. S. cognatus had a significantly higher density than X. cheopis among the campestral and peridomestic rats, but the density of X. cheopis was significantly in the domestic rat. Overall infestation rates were equally high in both mixed and lalang habitats, but low in the ricefield. Flea indices were highest in the mixed habitat, lower in lalang, and lowest in ricefield. The putative vector of scrub typhus (Leptotrombidium (L.) deliense) was quite prevalent on campestral rats, less so on domestic ones and least on peridomestic. Overall infestation rates were equally high in both mixed and lalang habitats and low in the ricefield. Chiggers load per animal was significantly higher in the mixed habitat, lower in lalang and lowest in the ricefield.

The host/parasite relationships of Xenopsylla astia and X. cheopis on Bandicota bengalensis in Rangoon, Burma.

In Rangoon, Burma, over half the commensal B. bengalensis taken in live traps were found to be infested with Xenopsylla species fleas. X. astia infestations were twice as common as those of the classic plague vector X. cheopis. In terms of absolute numbers X. astia outnumbered X. cheopis by 10 to 1. X. astia was more commonly found as a monospecific infestation, and X. cheopis was more commonly found mixed with X. astia. The flea indicies were high, with a specific index of 2.4 for X. cheopis and 10.2 for X. astia. The flea indicies and flea sex ratios remained stable across the host population and could not be correlated to changes in the head and body length of the host and were not different on male or female hosts. The evidence of this and other surveys is that X. cheopis is not as well adapted for parasitism on free ranging B. bengalensis as is X. astia.