National pathogenic and serological analysis of plague test results in China from 2001 to 2009

Abstract

Objective To describe the pathogenic and serological test results of the plague in China from 2001 to 2009, and human and animal plague distribution. Methods Through access to information of the plague surveillance report in China from 2002 to 2010, national plague pathogenic and serological test results and the epidemic situation were analyzed from 2001 to 2009. Results From 2001 to 2009, 2966 strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated in the seven provinces which were Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan, Qinghai, Tibet, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. Of these, 1 138 000 animals were detected by bacteriological method, 1998 strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated;379 227 groups of intermediary animals were detected, 927 strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated;41 strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated from human body. Animal serums of 1 169 702 were detected by indirect hemagglutination assay(IHA), of these 3177 animal serums were positive, 168 human serums were positive;53 323 animal samples were detected by reverse indirect hemagglutination assay(RIHA), of these 500 were positive. There were outbreak or epidemic of plague in 9 types of plague foci, 2925 strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated. Two animals and 6 fleas were judged as new reservoir and new vector. There were 23 counties of 6 provinces were judged as plague new natural foci counties. Conclusions The plague epidemic in China is still serious between 2001 and 2009. There are nine types of foci in the active state. Key words: Plague; Etiology; Serology