Plague risk in vulnerable community: assessment of Xenopsylla cheopis susceptibility to insecticides in Malagasy prisons

Abstract

BackgroundPrisons in Madagascar are at high risk of plague outbreak. Occurrence of plague epidemic in prisons can cause significant episode of urban plague through the movement of potentially infected humans, rodents and fleas. Rodent and flea controls are essential in plague prevention, by reducing human contact with plague reservoirs and vectors. Insecticide treatment is the key step available for the control of rat fleas which transmit the disease from infected rodents to human. The implementation of an adapted flea control strategy should rely on the insecticide susceptibility status of the targeted population. For the purpose of plague prevention campaign in prisons, we conducted insecticide resistance survey on Xenopsylla cheopis, the rat flea.MethodsFleas were collected on rats caught in six prisons of Madagascar. They were exposed to insecticide treated filter papers and mortality was recorded following World Health Organization protocol.ResultsThe fleas collected in the prisons had different resistance patterns, while a high level of resistance to insecticides tested was described in the Antanimora prison, located in the heart of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.ConclusionsThis finding is alarming in the context of public health, knowing that the effectiveness of flea control could be jeopardized by insecticide resistance. In order to establish more accurate rat fleas control in prisons, the main recommendations are based on continuous monitoring insecticide susceptibility of flea, insecticide rotation, and the development of a new method for flea control.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40249-017-0356-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Field assessment of insecticide dusting and bait station treatment impact against rodent flea and house flea species in the Madagascar plague context

“…cheopis on rats [13]. In addition, insecticide susceptibility tests showed great susceptibility to fenitrothion and is consistent with previous studies [31,36]. Our study demonstrated that this conventional treatment remained effective during the first week after treatment, adding supplementary protection to the community.…”

Human plague: An old scourge that needs new answers

“…The use of chemicals to eliminate fleas or rodents requires the surveillance of physiological resistance mechanisms in flea/rodent populations and the identification of biochemical or genetic markers of resistance as well as the characterization of mechanisms involved and their environmental and genetic determinants. Studies on X. cheopis insecticide resistance have already been carried out in different situations [41,42]. However, information on other flea species is most often missing.…”

“…Studies on X . cheopis insecticide resistance have already been carried out in different situations [ 41 , 42 ]. However, information on other flea species is most often missing.…”

Ludic and Innovative Activity for Teaching the Main Fleas and Diseases Transmitted by them of Medical Importance

“…Xenopsylla cheopis pode transmitir as doenças como: tifo murino ou tifo endêmico causadas pelas bactérias da Família Rickettsiaceae, Rickettsia typhi e R. mooseri, parasitos intracelulares obrigatórios (SAAVEDRA; DIAS, 2011;MIARINJARA et al, 2017). Também podem transmitir Revista um bacilo Gram-negativo, denominado Yersinia pestis, causadora da peste bubônica, de duas formas: mecânica e biologicamente.…”