Serological survey of plague in rodents and other

Authors: Davis DHS Heisch RB McNeill D Meyer KF

Publish Date: 1968/01/01

Volume: 62, Issue: 6, Pages: 838-861

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Abstract

DHS Davis RB Heisch D McNeill KF Meyer Serological survey of plague in rodents and other small mammals in Kenya Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Volume 62 Issue 6 1968 Pages 838–861 https//doiorg/101016/0035920368900138HA antibodies were present in high titre 1 in 512 to 1 in 2048 in sera from Arvicanthis niloticus Praomys natalensis Rattus rattus and Acomys spp and in lower but significant titres 1 in 16 in 256 in sera from Otomys angoniensis Aethomys kaiseri Tatera spp Lemniscomys striatus L griselda and Rhabdomys pumilio Serum from a Thamnomys dolichurus reacted at 1 in 256Other animals tested included a few genet cats Genetta tigrina bush squirrels Paraxerus ochraceus dwarf mongooses Helogale parvula an African striped polecat Ictonyx striatus and a giant elephant shrew Petrodromus tetradactylus of these sera from a Helogale reacted at 1 in 32 and from a Petrodromus at 1 in 256 the other animals were negativeIn 1962–1965 10 of the sera were positive and in 1966 only 6 The percentage of sera positive in 1962–1965 was very high at Kisumu 41 and at Taveta 42 at Rongai only 2 Quite high positive rates were found at Kombeni and Mombasa both 13 and at Malindi 16·5 The positive rate in the Nairobi area was 7 in 1966 this had fallen to 1There are grounds for believing that the permanent reservoir of plague is frequently associated with foothill areas at medium altitudes This does not account however for its evident persistence in such lowlying coastal areas as Mombasa Kombeni and Malindi

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