Discussion on transmission mechanism of wild rodent plague to human in the northwestern area of Yunnan province / 中国地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the relationship between wild rodent plague and human in wild rodent plague foci of the northwestern area in Yunnan to probe the possible transmission mechanism of wild rodent plague to human. Methods Data of component ratio of rodents and fleas was collected in different areas from 1985 - 1995. Activities and habits of residents regarding the way they keep cats and dogs and parasitic fleas and free fleas indoor were investigated, the dog serum was collected for detecting F1 antibody. Results Eothenomys miletus were main rodents in farmland and shrub, accounting for 48.00% (4753/9902) and 54.50% (4282/7857), Apodemus chevrieri were main rodents in garden, being 50.47% (1332/2639). The component ratio of Neopsylla specialis specialis was 13.31%(229/1720), 12.31%(1678/13 739) and 10.87%(957/8802) respectively in garden, farmland and shrub, higher than in indoor. The component ratio of Frantcpsylla spodix was 39.88% (686/1720), the highest in garden. Thirty-two per cent (32/100) of residents kept cats,in which 63% (20/32) with cat fleas, 68% (68/100) of villages kept dogs, in which 76%(52/68) with fleas. Eighteen parasitic fleas were caught from 43 dogs with a flea index of 0.119 and a rate for fleas of 11.63%, 7 pulex were collected from 17 indoor. Forty-three blood serum samples were obtained from dogs, among which 3 were positive blood serum. Conclusions Residents touch affected animals or media in different situations. The possibility of transmission for wild rodent plague to human exists in loci in a chain of wild rodent plague → fleas or predation → homebred animal plague (cats or dogs) →touching or respiratory → human.