title: [Eco-geographic landscapes of natural plague foci in China v. biological characteristics of major natural reservoirs of Yesinia pestis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the biological characteristics of natural reservoirs of Yesinia (Y.) pestis in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Species and genera of natural reservoirs of Y. pestis in China and their faunal distribution were characterized with modern taxonomic techniques. The ecological roles of natural reservoirs of Y. pestis in the natural plague foci were determined according to the animal ecological experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 86 species of natural reservoirs of Y. pestis including 14 major reservoirs and 72 kinds of the secondary or occasional reservoirs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The biological characteristics of major reservoirs of Y. pestis and their roles in natural plague foci were defined.
authors.affiliation: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yinchuan 750004, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Rong-Zu
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi-Yong
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gui-Chang
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xi-Ye
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D004463:Ecology; D010930:Plague / Q000382:microbiology*; D015010:Yersinia pestis