Surveillance of rat plague in Jianping county, 2009-2013

Objective To explore dynamic condition of rat plague and to provide evidence for preventing plague in human.Methods Data on ecology and density of Alaschanicus,pathogenic and serologic surveillance of rat plague in Jianping county from 2009 to 2013 were collected and analyzed.Results During the period,the density of Alaschanicus ranged between 0.10-0.23/hm² and the densities of wild and house mouse were 0.53-0.81/per 100 traps and 0.88-1.80/per 100 houses,respectively.A new species wild mouse (Cricetulus eversmanni)was identified in the surveillance in 2013.The ecology of Alaschanicus showed no obvious variation,with an annually increased proportion of 1-year-old mice.Totally 262 fleas were detected in 168 of 1 792 Alaschanicus checked,with a flea infection rate of 9.38% and an 5-year average flea index of 0.15; 186 fleas were captured in 102 of 1 810 Alaschanicus burrow tracks searched,with a flea detection rate of 5.64% and flea index of 0.10; and 281 fleas were captured in 56 of 156 Alaschanicus nests digged,with a flea detection rate of 35.90% and flea index of 1.80.All results of Yersinia pestis culture and F1 antibody indirect hemagglutination assay were negative for samples collected from Alaschanicus.Conclusion The epidemic of rat plague is in a relative stable condition in natural foci of plague in Jianping county.