Investigation of Yersinia enterocolitica in wild plague foci in Jianchuan, Yunnan

Objective To investigate the distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica in the foci of wild plague in Jianchuan county, Yunnan province. Methods The caecum and colon specimens of wild rats from Jianchuan were collected and then Y. enterocolitica were isolated and cultured. Results A total of 34 Y. enterocolitica strains, including 1 pathogenic strain and 33 non-pathogenic or weak pathogenic strains, were isolated, the overall positive rate was 5.27% (34/645). The rodent samples included Eothenomys miletus app:addword:Yunnan red-backed vole, bayesian tree shrews, brown rats, Apodemus chevrieri and Apodemus syhaticus Linnaeus, etc. The detection rate of Y. enterocolitica in Eothenomys miletus was highest (2.79%), followed by that in bayesian tree shrews(1.55%). Conclusion The main hosts of Y. enterocolitica and the main hosts of Yersinia pestis were same in Jianchuan, suggesting that the presence of Y. enterocolitica might be related with silence of plague.