The Impact of the Present-Day Climate Warming upon the Evolution of the New Inter-Epidemic Period in the Pre-Caspian North-Western Steppe Natural Plague Focus

Abstract

The development of two deep depressions in the numbers of small sousliks, observed in the 50ths - 60ths and 80ths - 90ths of the twentieth century, was shown to be significantly contributed to by the climatic factors in the North-Western Pre-Caspian region. The important role of the present-day climate warming upon the evolution of the inter-epidemic period in the North-Western Pre-Caspian steppe natural plague focus was ascertained, too. Search for Yersinia pestis strains in the rodent burrows soil in the areas of stable plague manifestations was recognized as a perspective surveillance measure to be practiced.

Keywords

• small sousliks
• number dynamics
• climatic factors
• interepizootic period
• climate warming
• rodent burrow soil