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Susceptibility to Yersinia pestis Experimental Infection in Wild Rattus rattus, Reservoir of Plague in Madagascar

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Abstract

In Madagascar, the black rat, Rattus rattus, is the main reservoir of plague (Yersinia pestis infection), a disease still responsible for hundreds of cases each year in this country. This study used experimental plague challenge to assess susceptibility in wild-caught rats to better understand how R. rattus can act as a plague reservoir. An important difference in plague resistance between rat populations from the plague focus (central highlands) and those from the plague-free zone (low altitude area) was confirmed to be a widespread phenomenon. In rats from the plague focus, we observed that sex influenced plague susceptibility, with males slightly more resistant than females. Other individual factors investigated (weight and habitat of sampling) did not affect plague resistance. When infected at high bacterial dose (more than 105 bacteria injected), rats from the plague focus died mainly within 3–5 days and produced specific antibodies, whereas after low-dose infection (< 5,000 bacteria), delayed mortality was observed and surviving seronegative rats were not uncommon. These results concerning plague resistance level and the course of infection in the black rat would contribute to a better understanding of plague circulation in Madagascar.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all staff of the Plague laboratory of the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar for assistance during the fieldwork, experimentation, and serological analysis. We thank Florent Sebbane for helpful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript, as well as Nathalie Charbonnel for constructive discussions. Funding was provided by the IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), the IPM (Institut Pasteur de Madagascar) and an ANR-SEST (Agence Nationale pour la Recherche, Santé - Environnement et Santé - Travail) program on plague diffusion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRD, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet, CS 30016, 34988, Montferrier-Sur-Lez Cedex, France

    C. Tollenaere, J.-M. Duplantier & C. Brouat

  2. Institut Pasteur de Madagascar (IPM), Unité Peste, BP1274, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar

    L. Rahalison, M. Ranjalahy & S. Rahelinirina

  3. Institute of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK

    S. Telfer

Authors
  1. C. Tollenaere
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  2. L. Rahalison
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  3. M. Ranjalahy
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  4. J.-M. Duplantier
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  5. S. Rahelinirina
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  6. S. Telfer
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  7. C. Brouat
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Correspondence to C. Brouat.

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Tollenaere, C., Rahalison, L., Ranjalahy, M. et al. Susceptibility to Yersinia pestis Experimental Infection in Wild Rattus rattus, Reservoir of Plague in Madagascar. EcoHealth 7, 242–247 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-010-0312-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-010-0312-3

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