@article{fdi:010060502,
  title = {{P}lague circulation and population genetics of the reservoir {R}attus rattus : the influence of topographic relief on the distribution of the disease within the {M}adagascan focus},
  author = {{B}rouat, {C}arine and {R}ahelinirina, {S}. and {L}oiseau, {A}. and {R}ahalison, {L}. and {R}ajerison, {M}. and {L}affly, {D}. and {H}andschumacher, {P}ascal and {D}uplantier, {J}ean-{M}arc},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {L}andscape may affect the distribution of infectious diseases by influencing the population density and dispersal of hosts and vectors. {P}lague ({Y}ersinia pestis infection) is a highly virulent, re-emerging disease, the ecology of which has been scarcely studied in {A}frica. {H}uman seroprevalence data for the major plague focus of {M}adagascar suggest that plague spreads heterogeneously across the landscape as a function of the relief. {P}lague is primarily a disease of rodents. {W}e therefore investigated the relationship between disease distribution and the population genetic structure of the black rat, {R}attus rattus, the main reservoir of plague in {M}adagascar. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal {F}indings: {W}e conducted a comparative study of plague seroprevalence and genetic structure (15 microsatellite markers) in rat populations from four geographic areas differing in topology, each covering about 150-200 km(2) within the {M}adagascan plague focus. {T}he seroprevalence levels in the rat populations mimicked those previously reported for humans. {A}s expected, rat populations clearly displayed a more marked genetic structure with increasing relief. {H}owever, the relationship between seroprevalence data and genetic structure differs between areas, suggesting that plague distribution is not related everywhere to the effective dispersal of rats. {C}onclusions/{S}ignificance: {G}enetic diversity estimates suggested that plague epizootics had only a weak impact on rat population sizes. {I}n the highlands of {M}adagascar, plague dissemination cannot be accounted for solely by the effective dispersal of the reservoir. {H}uman social activities may also be involved in spreading the disease in rat and human populations.},
  keywords = {{MADAGASCAR}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {N}eglected {T}ropical {D}iseases},
  volume = {7},
  numero = {6},
  pages = {e2266},
  ISSN = {1935-2735},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0002266},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060502},
}