Study on the host and medium flea form the plague focus in Hepu county,Guangxi province

Objective To find out the distribution of the main rodent animals and fleas population and provide information for control of plague in Hepu county. Methods The surveillance data of plague were analyzed and assessed in Hepu county from 1987 to 2006. Results Eight species belonged to three families, two orders of rodent animals and seven species of fleas were found in this area. Rattus losea and Xenopsylla cheopis were dominant species, R.flavipectus, R.norvegicus, Suncus murinus, and Banolicota indica were familiar species. The annual average density of rodents, the infected rate with flea of rodents, index of fleas, index of X.cheopis and free flea in room were 10.58%, 28.38%, 0.7916, 0.5702 and 0.0515 respectively. Conclusion The results show that the natural infective foci in Hepu county remains in a quiescent period and the best rodent control months are February and September and the important surveillance period of plague is from January to July.