1 publication

• Published Subscription Review Article 16 Jul 2026

  Xenopsylla cheopis and Plague: Biology, Transmission, and Control

  By Atul Khajuria, Kiran Kumari, Tapaswi Ram Khajuria

  Abstract: Xenopsylla cheopis, the oriental rat flea, remains the most important vector of Yersinia pestis in classical rodent–flea–human plague cycles. Its biology is tightly adapted to commensal rats, especially Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus, whose nests provide microhabitats that support all pre adult stages and favour persistent flea populations near humans. The flea’s holometabolous life cycle, including the capacity for prolonged pupal quiescence and opportunistic host-seeking by adults, underpins its ability …

  Published in International Journal of Insects · Vol. 3, Issue 2, 2026 Read article →