An estimated 2 billion rats invaded 22 counties around Dongting Lake in Hunan Province after their island homes experienced flooded since June 23rd. Despite this rodent outbreak, disease is unlikely in the area, according to Yu Dongzheng, a scientist with the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the eleventh five-year (2005-2010) plan period, key controlled areas are still the marmot-infested area in western China, mouse-infested area in southwestern China and the gerbil-infested area in northern China. Yu also reported that the most heavily marmot-infested areas are in Qinghai, Gansu, Tibet and Xinjiang autonomous regions. These regions also have the most cases of marmot-borne epidemics and human-to-human transmission occurring in those areas.
In the past decade, China has only had one registered case of the outbreak of a marmot plague, said Yu.
By People's Daily Online
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