Plague surveillance in Brazil: 1983 - 1992

Abstract

Plague caused by Yersinia pestis, has persisted in Brazil in several natural foci spread throughout rural areas in the States of Ceara, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas, Bahia, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Nationwide surveillance of plague in Brazil based on serological testing started in 1983. We now present an update report of the examinations carried out in our laboratory from 1983 to 1992. The passive hemagglutination test for antibodies against fraction 1A antigen of Y. pestis and the passive hemagglutination inhibition control were employed for testing a total of 220,769 sera. Samples analyzed included 2,856 sera from clinically diagnosed plague cases or suspects, 49,848 sera from rodents of 24 species and 2 species of small wild carnivores (marsupials), 122,890 sera from dogs, and 45,175 sera from cats. Specific antibodies were found in 92 (3.22%) human sera; 143 (0.29%) sera from rodents of 8 species and from the two species of marsupials, 1,105 (0.90%) sera from dogs and 290 (0.64%) sera from cats. The presence of significant levels of specific anti-F1A antibodies among rodents and wild or domestic carnivores (dogs and cats) indicates that all the Brazilian plague foci remain active in spite of the absence of human cases in some of them.

Potential mammalian reservoirs in a bubonic plague outbreak focus in Mbulu District, northern Tanzania, in 2007

“…Sylvatic plague is widely distributed in western North America, South America (Peru, Ecuador and Brazil), southern, eastern and central Africa, the Middle East and central Asia (WHO 2006). Studies in Brazil revealed the presence of significant levels of specific anti-F1 antibodies among rodents and wild or domestic carnivores (dogs and cats), indicating that these plague foci were active in spite of the absence of human cases in some of them (de Almeida et al 1995). However, the sylvatic reservoir of Y. pestis is not well documented (Chanteau et al 1998).…”

Tendência secular da peste no Estado do Ceará, Brasil

“…O quarto período, de 1987 a 2004 (18 anos), apresentou baixíssima incidência de casos humanos, somente três, ao lado de evidências importantes da circulação do bacilo pestoso em reservatórios silvestres e domésticos, obtidas graças à agregação de novas estratégias e tecnologias à vigilância da zoonose, especialmente a vigilância sorológica, implantada no Brasil no início da dé-cada de 80 e no Ceará em 1987 17,18,19 . A despeito da redução da ocorrência de peste humana nos anos recentes (Figura 2), a circulação do bacilo pestoso freqüentemente é detectada quando uma investigação rigorosa é realizada.…”

The use of filter paper plasticized with polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde in ELISA

“…This disease is unlikely to disappear due to the wide range of mammalian hosts and their attendant fleas (4). On the other hand, the presence of significant levels of specific anti-F1A antibodies among rodents and wild or domestic carnivores (dogs and cats) indicates that all Brazilian plague foci remain active in spite of the absence of human cases (5).…”