The status of plague in Zimbabwe

Taylor, Paul; Gordon, D. H.; Isaäcson, M

doi:10.1080/00034983.1981.11687424

Cited by 15 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Results from our study agrees with earlier reports by Taylor et al (1981), which showed that M. natalensis, R. rattus, T. leucogaster, and R. pumilio were the dominant rodent species in Zimbabwe and are hosts of X. brasiliensis. The presence of the four major rodent species infested with X. brasiliensis, which has been implicated as the principal plague vector in Zimbabwe (Taylor et al 1981), is a potential risk factor for plague outbreaks in the study areas.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 95%

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Seasonal Abundance of Plague Vector Xenopsylla brasiliensis from Rodents Captured in Three Habitat Types of Periurban Suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe

Zimba¹,

Pfukenyi

Loveridge

et al. 2011

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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The study was aimed at determining the seasonal abundance of Xenopsylla brasiliensis, an important vector of plague in Zimbabwe, from rodent hosts captured in selected habitat types of two periurban suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe. The removal-trapping method was used to capture the rodents, from which fleas were collected and identified. Percentage incidence index (PII) and specific flea index (SFI) were calculated for X. brasiliensis in relation to rodent species host. Mastomys natalensis, Rattus rattus, Tatera leucogaster, and Rhabdomys pumilio were the rodent species present in the study areas and all species were infested with X. brasiliensis. PII for T. leucogaster in relation to X. brasiliensis was significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared with that of the other rodent species and T. leucogaster also recorded the highest SFI, whereas R. pumilio recorded the lowest indices. In both formal and informal settlements, the highest PII of X. brasiliensis was attained for M. natalensis, followed by R. rattus. In the cultivated habitat, T. leucogaster recorded the highest indices and R. pumilio the lowest. X. brasiliensis was found to cohabitat with Dinopsyllus lypusus and Ctenophthalmus calceatus on M. natalensis, R. rattus, and T. leucogaster. No cohabitation was recorded for R. pumilio. For all the rodent species captured, both the PII and SFI of X. brasiliensis were highest during the hot-dry season, followed by the hot-wet season, with the cold-dry season recording the lowest indices. The overall cohabitation was highest during the hot-dry season and lowest during the hot-wet season. The findings of the present study fit the reported occurrence of plague outbreaks during the hot-dry season in periurban Zimbabwe.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 95%

“…The presence of the four major rodent species infested with X. brasiliensis, which has been implicated as the principal plague vector in Zimbabwe (Taylor et al 1981), is a potential risk factor for plague outbreaks in the study areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Abundance of Plague Vector Xenopsylla brasiliensis from Rodents Captured in Three Habitat Types of Periurban Suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe

Zimba¹,

Pfukenyi

Loveridge

et al. 2011

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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“…The current results are consistent with those reported by Kilonzo et al [ 26 ]. Similarly, in other studies, dogs were reportedly sero-positive for the anti-plague antibodies in Zimbabwe [ 29 ] and Democratic Republic of Congo [ 30 ]. Since dogs are very mobile it is most likely that they may have been infected either at the villages of their residence or in neighbouring villages.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Serological and PCR investigation of Yersinia pestis in potential reservoir hosts from a plague outbreak focus in Zambia

et al. 2017

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BackgroundPlague is a bacterial zoonotic disease, caused by Yersinia pestis. Rodents are the natural hosts with fleas as the vehicle of disease transmission. Domestic and wild dogs and cats have also been identified as possible disease hosts. In Zambia, plague outbreaks have been reported in the Southern and Eastern regions in the last 20 years. Based on these observations, Y. pestis could possibly be endemically present in the area.MethodsTo substantiate such possibility, sera samples were collected from rodents, shrews, dogs and cats for detection of antibodies against Fraction 1 gene (Fra1) of Y. pestis while organs from rodents and shrews, and fleas from both dogs and rodents were collected to investigate plasminogen activator gene (pla gene) of Y. pestis using ELISA and PCR respectively.ResultsA total of 369 blood samples were collected from domestic carnivores, shrews and domestic and peri-domestic rodents while 199 organs were collected from the rodents and shrews. Blood samples were tested for antibodies against Fra1 antigen using ELISA and 3% (5/165) (95% CI 0.99–6.93%) dogs were positive while all cats were negative. Of 199 sera from rodents and shrews, 12.6% (95% CI 8.30–17.98%) were positive for antibodies against Fra1 using anti-rat IgG secondary antibody while using anti-mouse IgG secondary antibody, 17.6% (95% CI 12.57–23.60%) were positive. PCR was run on the organs and 2.5% (95% CI 0.82–5.77%) were positive for plasminogen activator gene of Y. pestis and the amplicons were sequenced and showed 99% identity with Y. pestis reference sequences. All 82 fleas collected from animals subjected to PCR, were negative for pla gene. The specific rat-flea and dog-flea indices were 0.19 and 0.27 respectively, which were lower than the level required to enhance chances of the disease outbreak.ConclusionsWe concluded that plague was still endemic in the area and the disease may infect human beings if contact is enhanced between reservoir hosts and flea vectors. The lower specific rodent-flea Indices and absence of Y. pestis in the potential vectors were considered to be partly responsible for the current absence of plague outbreaks despite its presence in the sylvatic cycle.

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“…The results of this study suggest that a combination of factors in plague-resistant South African rodents, including a short-lived antibody response, a relatively high 50 0 infectious dose, and a natural resistance precluding seroconversion may be partially responsible for the low plague antibody rates observed in serological surveys in southern African wild rodent populations (Taylor, Gordon & Isaacson, 1981;. It follows from these observations that the animals used in this study, although seronegative prior to experimental infection, may have been previously exposed to Y. pestis in the wild.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%