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Risk of maritime introduction of plague from Madagascar to Mayotte

Soanandrasana Rahelinirina1, Mireille Harimalala2, Thomas Margueron3

  • 1Plague Unit, WHO Collaborating Center, Institut Pasteur, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Acta Tropica
|August 4, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Plague, a Yersinia pestis infection, poses a high risk to neighboring islands from Madagascar. Surveillance of rodent and flea populations is crucial to prevent its spread, particularly to Mayotte.

Area of Science:

  • * Epidemiology and Zoonotic Disease Research
  • * Vector-borne disease transmission dynamics

Background:

  • * Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a significant zoonotic disease primarily transmitted by fleas from infected rodents.
  • * Madagascar is one of the most affected countries, with a high risk of plague introduction to neighboring islands due to maritime trade.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To assess the risk of Yersinia pestis introduction to Mayotte from Madagascar.
  • * To identify plague reservoirs and vectors in key port areas of Madagascar and Mayotte.

Main Methods:

  • * Conducted a study of plague reservoirs and vectors in Longoni Port (Mayotte) and Mahajanga Port (Madagascar).
  • * Investigated two distinct seasons to capture seasonal variations in vector and reservoir populations.

Main Results:

  • * Identified Suncus murinus and Rattus rattus as primary plague reservoirs and Xenopsylla cheopis as the main flea vector in Longoni Port.
  • * Isolated Yersinia pestis from Rattus norvegicus near Mahajanga Port, indicating circulation within rodent populations without overt die-offs.
  • * Confirmed the presence of plague reservoirs and vectors in proximity to key maritime hubs.

Conclusions:

  • * A non-negligible risk of Yersinia pestis introduction from Madagascar to Mayotte exists due to regular maritime exchanges.
  • * Continuous surveillance of rodent (Rattus, Suncus) and flea (Xenopsylla) populations is essential in countries with regular trade with Madagascar to prevent plague dissemination.
Keywords:
FleasIndian OceanRatsSeaportShrewYersinia pestis

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