Analysis on monitoring results of plague host animal in Guangzhou City from 2004 to 2005

Objective This study was conducted to understand the structure and distribution of animal species for plague host animals in Guangzhou Province, and so as to accumulate basic data for plague prevention and control. Methods A method of Yelong was adopted. The captured rats and collected fleas were identified, the rate of rats with fleas and the flea index were calculated, and the plague F1 antibody was tested with IHA method for plague. Results There were 1636 captured animals of rat shape, which were divided into 2 orders, 2 families, 3 genera, and 6 strains, including 1399 rodents and 237 animals of insectiviora, with total rat density of 12.63% and rat density of 10.80%. Among 250 animals of rat shape, there were 85 flea rats found with collected 407 fleas. The fleas on surface of rat were identified as xenopsylla cheopis and leptopsylla segnis, and flea infection rate of rats was 34.0%, with total flea index of 1.63, and rattus flavipectus flea index 2.36. F1 antibody to the plague was not found. Conclusion Sewer rat was still the main species of rat in Guangzhou City. The main flea was xenopsylla cheopis. No sign of plague prevalence among rats was found. The flea index of rattus flavipetus was relative high, which should be attached importance.