[The isolability of the causative agent of pseudotuberculosis from rodents in Georgia]

Since 1960 the cases of isolating the pseudopathogen agent have been recorded in Georgia at particular regular intervals. The accumulated material mainly involves epizootiological findings, which may provide a definite insight into the prevalence of this disease in Georgia. In 1960-1990, 31 strains were isolated in particular regions and populated areas; these included 17 strains from grey rats, 4 from house mice, 9 from common voles, and 1 from field mice. The particular constancy of isolation of the pseudotuberculosis pathogen from synanthropic rodents indicates that they may really infect humans, contrary to the opinion of G. P. Somov et al. who consider that among the synanthropic rodents there is only a chronic epizootic causing no animal death and that the role of the rodents in the spread of infection among humans is insignificant. However, doubt is cast on the validity of this proposition as the evidence for carriage alone among the rodents is lacking. The special literature contains no information on the dynamics of an epizootic process of pseudotuberculosis among the synanthropic rodents whereas the high pathogen detection rate in the viscera of these animals, recognized by Somov et al., mostly likely confirms the possibility of the course of epizootic manifested by the disease, but not only carriage. There is reason to consider pseudotuberculosis to be a naturally focal disease that is characterized by recurrent epizootics of varying intensity. Therefore, wild and synanthropic rodents may be as a reservoir and a source of infection. The circulation of the pathogen among wild and synanthropic rodents, in terms of their ability to be preserved and breed in the environmental objects, presents a permanent risk of not only sporadic cases, but also pseudotuberculosis outbreaks.