The Role of Certain Species of Small Mammals in the Persistence of Natural Focality in the Territory of Forest-Steppe Zone of the Natural Tularemia Focus of the Stavropol Region

• Published in: Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections
• Main Authors: B. I. Levchenko, L. V. Degtyareva, A. A. Zaitsev, M. P. Grigor’Ev, V. V. Ostapovich
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Federal Government Health Institution, Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe” 2014
• Subjects: природный очаг; возбудитель туляремии; мелкие млекопитающие; эпизоотическое значение; natural focus; tularemia agent; small mammals; epizootic significance; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.21055/0370-1069-2014-3-30-33; https://doaj.org/article/ad62174574b4435688a05c8e76f3bd81

Epizootiological monitoring of the forest-steppe area of the natural tularemia focus in the Stavropol region has revealed that the role of particular species of small mammals in the persistence of natural tularemia focality is unequal. Epizootic activity of the focus in 1959-1970 was determined by the numerous species of rodents: Microtus arvalis , mice of Syvaemus genus and Mus musculus . In 1972-2010 there occurred significant changes in the grouping of the main tularemia agent carriers under the influence of strong anthropogenic pressure. Nowadays the leading role is played by the widely-spread and subsistent mice of Sylvaemus genus and C. suaveolens , the latter ones being responsible for 31.2 % of overall, isolated from small mammals, tularemia agent strains. In addition to this, epizootic significance of M. arvalis has greatly changed. Index of strains isolated from field vole has lowered from 55.3 up to 28.4. Numbers of M. arvalis and Mus musculus are continuously on the low level, which is due to the absence of favorable breeding conditions. It reduces their impact on the persistence of natural focality in the territory under surveillance significantly.