A Field Study of Plague and Tularemia in Rodents, Western Iran

作者：Mostafavi Ehsan^*; Shahraki Abdolrazagh Hashemi; Japoni Nejad Alireza; Esmaeili Saber; Darvish Jamshid; Sedaghat Mohammad Mehdi; Mohammadi Ali; Mohammadi Zeinolabedin; Mahmoudi Ahmad; Pourhossein Behzad; Ghasemi Ahmad; Gyuranecz Miklos; Carniel Elisabeth

来源：Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2017, 17(4): 247-253.

DOI：10.1089/vbz.2016.2053

• Francisella tularensis
• Iran
• plague
• rodent
• tularemia
• Yersinia pestis

Introduction: Kurdistan Province in Iran is a historical focus for plague and tularemia. This study aimed at assessing the current status of these two foci by studying their rodent reservoirs.
Materials and Methods: Rodents were trapped and their ectoparasites were collected. The genus and species of both rodents and ectoparasites were determined. Serological analyses of rodent blood samples were done by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for plague and by standard tube agglutination assay for tularemia. Rodent spleen samples were subjected to bacterial culture, microscopic examination, and real-time PCR to search for active plague or tularemia infection.
Results: During this study, 245 rodents were trapped, of which the most abundant genera were Apodemus (40%), Mus (24.49%), and Meriones (12.65%). One hundred fifty-three fleas, 37 mites, and 54 ticks were collected on these rodents. The results of all direct and indirect tests were negative for plague. Serological tests were positive for tularemia in 4.8% of trapped rodents.
Discussion: This study is the first report on the presence of tularemia infection in rodents in Western Iran. Since Meriones persicus is a known reservoir for plague and tularemia, and this rodent carried plague and tularemia vectors in Marivan and Sanandaj districts, there is a real potential for the occurrence of these two diseases in this region.

• 出版日期2017-4