[Characterization of contacts of the population of Guinea with synanthropic rodents as Lassa fever virus carriers].

Questionnaire surveys made in 17 villages from 3 ecological zones of Guinea have provided evidence for the population's contact with synanthropic rodents as Lassa fever virus carriers. Over 100 rodents are quarterly captured in the houses of the traditional type in the villages located in the savanna woodland. Less than 10 specimens are captured at the food warehouses. There are more than 100 rodents in the majority of houses of the traditional type in the villages located in the secondary forest. In the villages of rainy tropical forests, the capture rate is low--10 to 100 rodents. The main rodent capturers are boys and young men (aged 7 to 20 years) who are principal rodent meat eaters; although almost the whole population, particularly in rural areas, consumes this meat in varying degrees. The proportion of captured rats of the genus Mastomys (the carrier of Lassa fever virus) in the town of Kindia is 11%. In the rural area, it is much higher (as high as 94%) in the villages located in the rainy tropical forests. It is estimated that one trapper quarterly catches 0.2 (in the savanna woodland) to 6.9 (in the secondary forests) infected rats, which agrees with the data of a serological survey of Guinea's population. By and large, the majority of the Guinean population may be referred to as a group at risk for Lassa fever due to their permanent contacts with rodents.