The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) stated it is taking measures to prevent the outbreak of bubonic plague in humans after a dead rat in Mayibuye in Tembisa tested positive for plague antibodies on March 16.

In a statement issued, the NICD stated   that the institution together with environmental health services in three sentinel sites across South Africa run a monitoring programme for various rodent-borne diseases including plague.

This announcement comes after the rat found in Tembisa tested positive for antibodies to plague.

“This rodent was 1 of 13 rodents submitted from Mayibuye and amongst many hundreds tested annually from across the country as part of routine surveillance.

“This result indicates past exposure to the plague organism (Yersinia pestis). The presence of plague in an area is usually noticed when unusual ‘die-off’ of rodents occurs in a particular place. In this case, no ‘die-off’ has been observed.  Further testing in rats from the area is underway to establish the extent of past infection in other rodents in the same area, and to identify active plague disease in local rodent populations,” the NICD stated.

“Presently there is no risk of human disease. Persons should observe usual precautions and not handle live or dead rodents. There have not been any cases of human plague reported.

“The plague organism is endemic in most sub-Saharan African countries amongst wild rodents, and is transmitted by fleas that live on rodents. Persons can acquire plague after being bitten by a flea carrying the infected organism or through coming into contact with dead rats. The last case of human plague in South Africa occurred in 1982 in the Eastern Cape Province,” NICD stated.