Distribution and abundance of fleas and rodents of plague importance in the erstwhile endemic states and international seaports of India

Appadurai Daniel Reegan; Anok Melvin Marshall; K P Srilatha; M Malini; Shivakumar S Titti; Rajesh L Kademani; Shubhangi Kulsange; Monil Singhai

doi:10.1016/j.parint.2024.102982

Distribution and abundance of fleas and rodents of plague importance in the erstwhile endemic states and international seaports of India

Parasitol Int. 2024 Oct 18:104:102982. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102982. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Appadurai Daniel Reegan¹, Anok Melvin Marshall², K P Srilatha², M Malini², Shivakumar S Titti², Rajesh L Kademani², Shubhangi Kulsange³, Monil Singhai⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Centre for Disease Control, Bengaluru Branch, 2(nd) Floor, Hosakerehalli BMTC Building, Banashankari 3(rd) Stage, Bengaluru 560 085, Karnataka, India. Electronic address: danielreegan1985@gmail.com.
² National Centre for Disease Control, Bengaluru Branch, 2(nd) Floor, Hosakerehalli BMTC Building, Banashankari 3(rd) Stage, Bengaluru 560 085, Karnataka, India.
³ National Centre for Disease Control, 22, Shamnath Marg, Delhi 110 054, India.
⁴ National Centre for Disease Control, 22, Shamnath Marg, Delhi 110 054, India. Electronic address: drmonil@gmail.com.

PMID: 39427779
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102982

Abstract

Rodents are the reservoirs of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis, which is transmitted through the bites of infected fleas. In this paper, we studied the distribution and abundance of fleas and rodents in the erstwhile endemic states and seaports of India from 2009 to 2019. The analysis showed that the Rattus rattus (Rr) was the major rodent species found in both Western (66.52 %) and Eastern (48.95 %) seaports of India and the other rodent species recorded were Bandicota indica (Bi) (16.68 % & 34.24 %), Bandicota bengalensis (Bb) (8.88 % & 16.02 %) Rattus norvegicus (Rn) (6.83 % & 0.70 %), Murines hurriane (Mh) (1.08 % & 0 %), Mus musculus (Mm) (0 % & 0.09 %), respectively. Only two flea species namely, Xenopsylla cheopis (X.c) and Xenopsylla astia (X.a) were recorded during the study period in Eastern and Western seaports. Among them, X. astia was found to be the dominant species (55.56 %) and followed by X. cheopis (44.44 %). Further, the female population of X. cheopis and X. astia was higher in both Western and Eastern seaports than the male population. Similarly, Rattus rattus (Rr) (82.43 %,) was the major rodent species found in erstwhile endemic states of India, followed by Tetera indica (Ti) (11.99 %,). Only northern endemic states (HP and UK) reported Rattus rattus terkiminasis (R.rt) (0.01 %). Four flea species namely, Xenopsylla cheopis (64.89 %), Xenopsylla astia (34.89 %), Stivalius ahalae (0.18 %), and Nosopsyllus fasciatus (0.02 %) were recorded from endemic states. The presence of rodents and vector fleas warrants sustained plague surveillance in and around seaports and endemic states.

Keywords: Endemic states; Indian seaports; Plague; Rodent and fleas; Xenopsylla astia; Xenopsylla cheopis.