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The Carriage of Plague

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. Isgaer Roberts
Affiliation:
Medical Entomologist, Kenya
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Summary

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1. Nairobi township and other areas about the Mount Kenya endemic centre have frequently been penetrated by persons suffering from plague, but, at least during the last few years, plague has failed to become established in this way.

2. A survey of rats and fleas, conducted at Mombasa upon 66 truckloads of maize in transit, resulted in no rats being seen or captured, whilst only seven fleas (2 ♂ and 2 ♀ X. cheopis, 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ D. lypusus and 1 ♀ Ct. cabirus) were collected from clean white rats after they had been allowed to run about in the maize.

3. Although maize continues to be repeatedly unloaded and handled at Mombasa, this town has remained free from plague.

4. We have failed to obtain any evidence that the transport of maize from endemic centres by railway is a factor in the dissemination, of plague.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1936

References

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Petrie, G. F. (1929). A System of Bacteriology, 3, Chap. 8.Google Scholar
Roberts, J. I. (1935). The relationship of the cotton crop to plague, and its rôle as a vehicle for rats and fleas in East Africa. J. Hygiene, 35, No. 3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed