Objective To develop a marmot information collection and reporting system to improve the efficiency of surveillance of epizootic plague in marmots, and to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of plague prevention and control strategy and the basic research. Methods A field investigation was performed in marmot plague foci of Qinghai province, China, 2014, and the spatial distribution and location data of marmots were collected by the Global Positioning System(GPS), involving 352 sample sites of Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Guoluo Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Wulan county, Jianzha county, Xinghai county, and Qilian county. Five environment variables of height, slope, slope aspect, vegetation coverage, and grassland type, as well as the latitude and longitude of sample sites were obtained. The data of the sample sites were displayed in China Geodetic Coordinate System 2000 using ArcGIS 10.2 software. By analyzing the work requirements and workflow of Marmota himalayana surveillance, database model design, system structure design and system model construction were carried out. Through the application of ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android related components and the lightweight spatial database supported by SpatiaLite mobile terminals to develop the marmot information collection system in the Eclipse development environment by intergrating various data into the mobile geographic information system platform. Results Based on the habitat information of M. himalayana in natural plague foci of Qinghai province, the established marmot information collection system V3.0 had the following basic functions:management and analysis of plague surveillance data; generation of spatial data, attribute data, and associated pictures, as well as storage and export of spatial data and attribute data with database files; import of data about historical plague foci, route planning, real-time positioning and navigation, route playback, etc. The marmot information collection system changed the traditional paper-based combined GPS, reduced the workload of investigators, and improved the work efficiency. The unified survey method ensured the consistency of data and the standardization of work. Conclusion The marmot information collection and reporting system V3.0 can improve the monitoring mode of marmot plague, increase the probability of detection of animal plague, and assist in making decisions on emergency response to animal or human plague.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and epidemic situation of plague in Qinghai province by using geographic information system (GIS) data platform to provide the basis for the formulation of prevention and control measures. Methods Using the spatial analysis function of plague prevention and control geographic information system in Qinghai province, the distribution, incidence and geographical factors of plague foci and the epidemiology of animal plague or human plague in 1954-2017 were analyzed and classified according to time and space. Results There are 2 kinds of plague ( Himalaya marmot plague and Microtus fuscus plague) natural foci in Qinghai province since 1954, animal plague epidemic has been occurring year after year, the epidemic has never been interrupted. Over the past 60 years, human plague did not occurred in 14 years, human plague cases were reported in the remaining years. In total, 198 outbreaks of human plague, 468 cases of disease, 240 cases of death, and fatality rate 51.28% were recorded. There are 30 counties in Qinghai province where there is an epidemic of animal plague. The plague epidemic mainly distributes in 12 counties of 5 states, they are Xinghai and Tongde counties of Hainan state, Qilian county of Haibei state,Wulan, Tianjun, Delingha and Geermu of Haixi state, Yushu, Chenduo, Zhiduo, Nangqian, Qumalai county of Yushu state and Guoluo state. The plague epidemic time is the May-October, the peak period of isolation of Yersinia pestis strain is from July to September. Conclusion During the past 60 years, the epidemic of animal plague and human plague in Qinghai province decreased slowly from 1950 s to the end of the 1990 s, followed by a resurging trend since 2000.

Objective To better use achieves of hosts and vectors of Marmota himalayana plague natural foci in Qinghai province, and to provide convenient, fast, scientific and accurate information for prediction and prevention of plague epidemic in the future. Methods The mammals collected were made into taxidermy in general, part of the mammals were made into ecological modeling specimens. Fleas, mites, and ticks were made into mounting slides. All the specimens were registered for their collection information, and the specimen achieves were set up and preserved. Results A total of 30 420 specimens from the M. himalayana plague natural foci in Qinghai province were preserved in the Qinghai Endemic Control Institute, including mammals belonging to 6 orders, 26 families, 45 genera and 110 species. There are 174 species of 6 families, 43 genera of fleas, 12 species of ticks, 68 species from 16 families, 18 genera of sucking lice, as well as 123 species from 12 families, 35 genera of mites. Conclusion We collected, produced and preserved a large number of hosts and vectors related to plague epidemic in this epidemic area, which provided a scientific basis for the basic work of plague foci investigation and animal plague surveillance.

Objective To research the distribution characteristics of Qinghai plague foci and the epidemic trend of human plague. Methods Applied geographic information system of Qinghai plague prevention and control to create the database and spatial mapping for 33 counties, where the plague natural foci were in Qinghai. Results The system query retrieval and mapping function showed the distribution of Qinghai plague natural foci, which was mainly concentrated in Huangnan state, Guoluo state, Yushu state, Haixi state, Haibei state, Hainan state and Xining city and 33 counties in Haidong region. Conclusion The geographic information system of Qinghai province plague prevention and control intuitively showed the distribution characters of plague foci and human plague in Qinghai province, so as to provide technical assistance for formulating the plague prevention and control strategy.

Objective To investigate the epidemic of plague in the past 10 years along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of plague in future. Methods The monitoring results and clinical data for the human plague epidemic along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway from 2003 to 2013 were collected and analyzed using descriptive epidemiological methods. Results The emergence of plague in both animals and humans mainly occurred in the areas of Geermu (Tanggulashan Township), Tianjun, and Wulan in the Qinghai section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway from 2003 to 2013. Sixty-nine strains of Yersinia pestis and 86 sera with positive F1 antibody were detected in these areas; 7 cases of human plague occurred, and 3 cases died. Conclusion Serious epidemic of plague remains in the Qinghai section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Frequent occurrence of plague between animals and sporadic human plague epidemic are mainly related to illegal marmot hunting in these key areas.

Objective To investigate the species composition and geographic distribution of fleas on plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi) and consequently to clarify the fauna of zokor fleas in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Methods Ground arrows were used to kill E. baileyi, and all fleas on the zokors were collected by combing and were then identified in the laboratory and analyzed statistically. Results A total of 282 E. baileyi were captured from 18 sampling sites, and 203 (71.99%) of them were infected by one or more fleas. A total of 835 fleas were collected, with a total flea index of 2.96 individuals per host. The hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the 18 sites into 3 main clades. Clade A was dominated by Neopsylla paranoma; clade B was dominated by N. sellaris; clade C had the fewest flea individuals. Conclusion The area around the Qinghai Lake is dominated by N. paranoma, the southeastern area of Qinghai province is a unique region for N. sellaris, and the Yellow River seems to have little influence on the fauna of fleas on E. baileyi.

Objective To analyze the results of plague surveillance on the periphery of Batang Airport in Yushu in order to provide the basis for development of the control and prevention strategies against plague spread by air transport. Methods Field research was conducted at Batang civil airport; dynamics of plague in Yushu and the plague surveillance data of the past three years in Batang were systematically analyzed. Results All of the six counties within Yushu Prefecture were natural foci of plague. With severe prevalence of plague, Yushu witnessed continued outbreaks of plague in animals year after year, which also spread to mankind occasionally. Batang Airport was located in a natural focus of plague where three interanimal plagues had been detected from 2007 to 2009, with 4 pathogenic strains isolated. Conclusion Risks of interanimal plague were identified on the periphery of Batang Airport, where the disease might be spread through aircrafts. The airport should set up its health quarantine mechanisms and system according to the Regulations on Domestic Communications Health Quarantine, and implement transport quarantine and operate pursuant to law.

Objective The study summarizes and analyzes the data of plague surveillance along the Qinghai?Tibet railway since its construction in Qinghai province, and provides scientific assessment of the plague epidemic dynamics in the region to support the establishment of prevention and treatment of plague along the Qinghai?Tibet railway. Methods Monitoring was conducted at the designated sites in accordance with the Technological Solutions for Prevention and Control of Plague along the Qinghai?Tibet railway and the Prevention and Control Program of Plague along the Qinghai?Tibet railway, national?level surveillance sites deployed along the railway line in accordance with the National Plague Surveillance Program. Meta?analysis was performed based on the plague monitoring data from 2001 to 2008 along the Qinghai?Tibet railway in Qinghai province. Results An area of 224 190 km² had been monitored, a total of 5822 specimen of rodent materials, 2617 samples of vector materials, 4966 samples of animal sera, 93 isolates of Yersinia pestis strains were collected from 2001 to 2008, including 249 cases of positive sera. Conclusion In recent years, increased plague transmission in animal populations had been observed along the Qinghai?Tibet railway, with high  plague?endemic  in Wulan county and Tianjun county along the railway. Therefore, relevant departments should attach great importance to preventing plague from long?distance spread along the Qinghai?Tibet railway line.

【Abstract】 Objective To know the distribution of flea, tick and louse and their natural infection situation at Sanjiangyuan Tanggula district of Qinghai. Methods The epizoite insects from the small animals captured in the plague foci were collected, and then classify and identify them respectively. Results There were 40 species of flea, tick and louse belonging to 20 genus, 8 families and 3 orders, including 36 species 17 genus and 5 families of fleas, 1 specie 1 genus and 1 family of ticks and 3 specie 1 genus and 1 family of louses, which were deposited in Qinghai Institute for endemic disease prevention and control. Only three species of fleas were infected by plague in 13 species of Marmota himalayana, and they were  Oropsylla  silantiewi  and  Callopsylla  dolabris and  Amphipsylla  primaris  primaries.  The  plague  was  also  isolated  from M.himalayana?a kind of epizoite louse parasitized M.himalayanus. Conclusion Strengthen the research on vector control in this district, and provide the service for the control of plague.