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Review
. 2021 Nov;16(6):810-819.
doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12480. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

Rodent hosts and flea vectors in Brazilian plague foci: a review

Diego Leandro Reis DA Silva Fernandes  1 , Matheus Filgueira Bezerra  1 , Marise Sobreira Bezerra DA Silva  1 , Nilma Cintra Leal  1 , Christian Robson DE Souza Reis  2 , Alzira Maria Paiva DE Almeida  1
Affiliations
Review

Rodent hosts and flea vectors in Brazilian plague foci: a review

Diego Leandro Reis DA Silva Fernandes et al. Integr Zool. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Plague, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, has several foci scattered throughout a large area from the Brazilian territory that ranges from the Northeastern State of Ceará to the Southeastern State of Minas Gerais and another separated area at the State of Rio de Janeiro. This review gathers data from plague control and surveillance programs on the occurrence and geographic distribution of rodent hosts and flea vectors in the Brazilian plague areas during the period of from 1952 to 2019. Furthermore, we discuss how the interaction between Y. pestis and some rodent host species may play a role in the disease dynamics. The absence of human cases nowadays in Brazil does not mean that it was eradicated. The dynamics of plague in Brazil and in other countries where it was introduced during the 3rd pandemic are quite alike, alternating epidemics with decades of quiescence. Hence, it remains an important epidemic disease of global concern. The existence of a large animal reservoir and competent vectors demonstrate a need for continuous surveillance to prevent new outbreaks of this disease in humans.

Keywords: fleas; plague; rodents; transmission; vectors.

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References

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