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Fish & Wildlife Disease: Small Mammal Disease

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By Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program September 29, 2022

Sylvatic plague is a flea-borne bacterial disease of wild rodents. Humans, pets, and wildlife can be afflicted with this disease.  Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague and are the primary food source of the highly endangered black-footed ferret, which is also susceptible to the disease. Sylvatic plague can decimate prairie dog colonies (90% or greater mortality rates), resulting in local extinctions and population reductions.

USGS scientists are working with partners to conduct field trials of an oral sylvatic plague vaccine for prairie dogs.  This management tool could be used to reduce the occurrence of plague outbreaks in wildlife.

Small Mammal Disease Research

link
Image: Plague Vaccine Bait

Vaccines

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) works on developing various disease management tools, including the development of vaccines. Our current work focuses on vaccines for sylvatic plague, white-nose syndrome, and rabies as disease control strategies.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
link

Vaccines

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) works on developing various disease management tools, including the development of vaccines. Our current work focuses on vaccines for sylvatic plague, white-nose syndrome, and rabies as disease control strategies.
Learn More
link
Prairie dog and SPV bait

Sylvatic Plague

Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis , is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
link

Sylvatic Plague

Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis , is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.
Learn More
link
Mosquito, species not verified

Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted from one animal to another by vectors, including insects, such as mosquitoes or fleas, and arachnids, such as ticks. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates wildlife diseases, including vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and sylvatic plague.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
link

Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted from one animal to another by vectors, including insects, such as mosquitoes or fleas, and arachnids, such as ticks. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates wildlife diseases, including vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and sylvatic plague.
Learn More
link
Image: Tagged Prairie Dog

Ecology of Plague

In North America, the flea transmitted plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) has colonized and altered native animal communities and ecosystems for more than a century. Many species have suffered adverse consequences from plague, perhaps none more than the endangered black-footed ferret. Plague has established within the ranges of all North American prairie dog species, which collectively serve as...
By
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Ecology of Plague

In North America, the flea transmitted plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) has colonized and altered native animal communities and ecosystems for more than a century. Many species have suffered adverse consequences from plague, perhaps none more than the endangered black-footed ferret. Plague has established within the ranges of all North American prairie dog species, which collectively serve as...
Learn More

Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS small mammal disease research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS small mammal disease data is available from the button below.

Complete List of Data

Data on black-tailed prairie dog body condition, annual and monthly survival, and reproduction on sites treated or not treated with 0.005% fipronil grain for flea control and plague mitigation in South Dakota, USA, 2017-2020

We live-trapped and sampled black-tailed prairie dogs in Badlands National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland, South Dakota, 2017-2020. Sampling occurred on sites treated with 0.005% fipronil grain for flea control and plague mitigation, and non-treated sites functioning as experimental baselines. Prairie dogs were trapped, sexed, aged (adult or juvenile by size), weighed to the nearest 5 gra
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Data on deer mouse and vole plague vaccination and captures in central New Mexico, 2019-2021

Our study was conducted from 2019-2021 in Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico. We live trapped deer mice and two species of voles in Sherman traps, mostly at nighttime, from June-October 2019 and June-September 2020-2021. We marked each rodent with ear tags and a passive integrated transponder for permanent identification. We used an F1 antigen vaccine to vaccinate some individuals against plague.
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Black-tailed prairie dog capture data from plots treated and not treated with oral plague vaccine from 2013-2017 in Montana

Oral sylvatic plague vaccine baits (SPV) and placebo baits were distributed once annually from 2013-2016 on treated and non-treated paired plots from 2013-2016. Black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPD) were live-trapped and permanently marked with passive integrated transponders and ear tags on 4 pairs of plots each year from 2013-2017 to provide capture/recapture data for use in estimating BTPD survival.
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Black-tailed prairie dog movement and bait uptake data from 2013-2017 in Montana

Oral sylvatic plague vaccine baits (SPV) and placebo baits, each containing Rhodamine B dye biomarker, were distributed once annually from 2013-2016 on treated and non-treated paired plots from 2013-2016. Black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPD) were live-trapped and permanently marked with passive integrated transponders and ear tags on 4 pairs of plots each year from 2013-2017 to provide capture/recaptu
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Data on prairie dog densities, flea abundance, and plague epizootics in Montana and Utah, USA

Data on prairie dog densities, flea abundance on prairie dogs, and plague epizootics in Montana and Utah, USA, 2003-2005. Prairie dog species (PDspecies in the data file) included black-tailed prairie dogs (PDs) (BTPD, Cynomys ludovicianus) in north-central Montana, white-tailed PDs (WTPD, Cynomys leucurus) in eastern Utah, and Utah PDs (UPD, Cynomys parvidens) in southwestern Utah. Field research
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Data on finite population change for 3 species of prairie dogs in Montana and Utah, USA, 2000-2005

Data on annual population change for prairie dogs in Montana and Utah, USA, 2000-2005. Prairie dog species included black-tailed prairie dogs (PDs) (BTPD, Cynomys ludovicianus) in north-central Montana, white-tailed PDs (WTPD, Cynomys leucurus) in eastern Utah, and Utah PDs (UPD, Cynomys parvidens) in southwestern Utah. Field research was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Scien
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Plague causes fragmentation of prairie dog colonies in Conata Basin, South Dakota from 1993 - 2015

This data was used to investigate the invasion of a non-native disease, plague, to a keystone species, prairie dogs, in Conata Basin, South Dakota, United States. We documented the resulting extent of fragmentation and habitat loss in western grasslands using colony boundaries mapped by the USFS every one to three years from 1993 - 2015. Specifically, we assessed how the arrival of plague in 2008,
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center

Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS small mammal disease research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS small mammal disease publications is available from the button below.

Complete List of Publications
Filter Total Items: 23

Exploring and mitigating plague for One Health purposes

Purpose of ReviewIn 2020, the Appropriations Committee for the U.S. House of Representatives directed the CDC to develop a national One Health framework to combat zoonotic diseases, including sylvatic plague, which is caused by the flea-borne bacterium Yersinia pestis. This review builds upon that multisectoral objective. We aim to increase awareness of Y. pestis and to highlight examples of plagu
Authors
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Jeffrey Wimsatt, Rebecca J. Eisen, B. Joseph Hinnebusch, Marc R. Matchett, Amanda R. Goldberg, Travis Livieri, Gregory Hacker, Mark Novak, Danielle Buttke, Shaun M. Grassel, John Hughes-Clarke, Linda Atiku
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Plague circulation in small mammals elevates extinction risk for the endangered Peñasco least chipmunk

Wildlife diseases are a major concern for species survival around the world. Vector-borne diseases, in particular, are problematic for both humans and wildlife. Plague is an introduced disease to North America where many species have low natural resistance to infection by the causative bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Plague in the United States is often associated with large-scale epizootic events tha
Authors
Amanda R. Goldberg, David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Reevaluation of the role of blocked Oropsylla hirsuta prairie dog fleas (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) in Yersinia pestis (Enterobacterales: Enterobacteriaceae) transmission

Prairie dogs in the western United States experience periodic epizootics of plague, caused by the flea-borne bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis. An early study indicated that Oropsylla hirsuta (Baker), often the most abundant prairie dog flea vector of plague, seldom transmits Y. pestis by the classic blocked flea mechanism. More recently, an alternative early-phase mode of transmission has been p
Authors
Adélaïde Miarinjara, David A. Eads, David M. Bland, Marc R. Matchett, Dean E. Biggins, B. Joseph Hinnebusch
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Oral sylvatic plague vaccine does not adequately protect prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) for endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) conservation

The plague bacterium Yersinia pestis is lethal to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes, BFF) and the prairie dogs (Cynomys spp., PD) on which they depend for habitat and prey. We assessed the effectiveness of an oral sylvatic plague vaccine delivered in baits to black-tailed PD (Cynomys ludovicianus, BTPD) from 2013 to 2017 on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR) in n
Authors
Marc R. Matchett, Thomas Stanley, Matthew F. McCollister, David A. Eads, Jesse Boulerice, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Comparison of flea sampling methods and Yersinia pestis detection on prairie dog colonies

Scientists collect fleas (Siphonaptera) to survey for Yersinia pestis, the bacterial agent of plague. When studying fleas parasitizing prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), two primary methods are used: (1) combing fleas from live-trapped prairie dogs and (2) swabbing fleas from burrows with cloth swabs attached to metal cables. Ideally, burrow swabbing, the cheaper and easier method, would explain flea bu
Authors
David A. Eads, Marc R. Matchett, Julia Poje, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Utah prairie dog population dynamics on the Awapa Plateau: Precipitation, elevation, and plague

Utah prairie dogs (UPDs, Cynomys parvidens) are colonial, herbivorous rodents listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened. Little is known about UPD population dynamics at higher elevations in the species’ range. From 2013 through 2016, we studied UPDs on five colonies at 2,645 to 2,873 m elevation on the Awapa Plateau, Utah, USA. Primary production increases with precipitation and preci
Authors
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Insect pathogenic fungi for biocontrol of plague vector fleas: A review

Bubonic plague is a lethal bacterial disease of great historical importance. The plague organism, Yersinia pestis, is primarily transmitted by fleas (Siphonaptera). In natural settings, where its range expands, Y. pestis resides in association with wild rodents and their fleas (sylvatic plague). While chemical insecticides are used against plague vector fleas, biological approaches have not been a
Authors
David A. Eads, Stefan Jaronski, Dean E. Biggins, Jeffrey Wimsatt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Plague transforms positive effects of precipitation on prairie dogs to negative effects

Rodents characteristically benefit from increased precipitation, especially in typically dry habitats; “good years” of high precipitation improve their forage and water balance. However, Yersinia pestis (plague), a flea-borne pathogen of mammals that was introduced to western North America, has the greatest negative impact on at least some species of rodents during years of above-average precipita
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, David A. Eads, Jerry L. Godbey
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Fipronil pellets reduce flea abundance on black-tailed prairie dogs: Potential tool for plague management and black-footed ferret conservation

In western North America, sylvatic plague (a flea-borne disease) poses a significant risk to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their primary prey, prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Pulicides (flea-killing agents) can be used to suppress fleas and thereby manage plague. In South Dakota, US, we tested edible “FipBit” pellets, each containing 0.84 mg fipronil, on free-living black-tai
Authors
David A. Eads, Travis M. Livieri, Phillip Dobesh, Eddie Childers, Lauren Noble, Michele Vasquez, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Epizootic plague in prairie dogs: Correlates and control with deltamethrin

The plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, is a generalist pathogen of flea (Siphonaptera) vectors and mammalian hosts. In colonies of prairie dogs (PDs, Cynomys spp.), Y. pestis causes occasional epizootics, killing ≥90% of PDs within weeks to several months. We evaluated the effectiveness of deltamethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, as a tool for preventing plague epizootics among three PD species. Sp
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Jerry L. Godbey, David A. Eads
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Effects of experimental flea removal and plague vaccine treatments on survival of northern Idaho ground squirrels and two coexisting sciurids

Plague is a non-native disease in North America that reduces survival of many mammals. Previous studies have focused on epizootic plague which causes acute mortality events and dramatic declines in local abundance. We know much less about enzootic plague which causes less punctuated reductions in survival and abundance of infected populations. As a result, enzootic plague is much more difficult to
Authors
Amanda R. Goldberg, Courtney J. Conway, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Fort Collins Science Center

Enzootic plague reduces survival of Mexican woodrats (Neotoma mexicana) in Colorado

Plague is a flea-vectored disease introduced to North America c. 1900. It is lethal to many American mammal species, causes major die-offs (epizootics) in some populations, and may be ecologically disruptive even at lower interepizootic (enzootic) levels of transmission. We sought to determine the effects of enzootic plague on survival of Mexican woodrats (Neotoma mexicana) and to test the hypothe
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Shantini Ramakrishnan, Tonie E. Rocke, Judy L. Williamson, Jeffrey Wimsatt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Sylvatic plague is a flea-borne bacterial disease of wild rodents. Humans, pets, and wildlife can be afflicted with this disease.  Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague and are the primary food source of the highly endangered black-footed ferret, which is also susceptible to the disease. Sylvatic plague can decimate prairie dog colonies (90% or greater mortality rates), resulting in local extinctions and population reductions.

USGS scientists are working with partners to conduct field trials of an oral sylvatic plague vaccine for prairie dogs.  This management tool could be used to reduce the occurrence of plague outbreaks in wildlife.

Small Mammal Disease Research

link
Image: Plague Vaccine Bait

Vaccines

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) works on developing various disease management tools, including the development of vaccines. Our current work focuses on vaccines for sylvatic plague, white-nose syndrome, and rabies as disease control strategies.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
link

Vaccines

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) works on developing various disease management tools, including the development of vaccines. Our current work focuses on vaccines for sylvatic plague, white-nose syndrome, and rabies as disease control strategies.
Learn More
link
Prairie dog and SPV bait

Sylvatic Plague

Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis , is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
link

Sylvatic Plague

Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis , is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.
Learn More
link
Mosquito, species not verified

Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted from one animal to another by vectors, including insects, such as mosquitoes or fleas, and arachnids, such as ticks. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates wildlife diseases, including vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and sylvatic plague.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
link

Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted from one animal to another by vectors, including insects, such as mosquitoes or fleas, and arachnids, such as ticks. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates wildlife diseases, including vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and sylvatic plague.
Learn More
link
Image: Tagged Prairie Dog

Ecology of Plague

In North America, the flea transmitted plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) has colonized and altered native animal communities and ecosystems for more than a century. Many species have suffered adverse consequences from plague, perhaps none more than the endangered black-footed ferret. Plague has established within the ranges of all North American prairie dog species, which collectively serve as...
By
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Ecology of Plague

In North America, the flea transmitted plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) has colonized and altered native animal communities and ecosystems for more than a century. Many species have suffered adverse consequences from plague, perhaps none more than the endangered black-footed ferret. Plague has established within the ranges of all North American prairie dog species, which collectively serve as...
Learn More

Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS small mammal disease research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS small mammal disease data is available from the button below.

Complete List of Data

Data on black-tailed prairie dog body condition, annual and monthly survival, and reproduction on sites treated or not treated with 0.005% fipronil grain for flea control and plague mitigation in South Dakota, USA, 2017-2020

We live-trapped and sampled black-tailed prairie dogs in Badlands National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland, South Dakota, 2017-2020. Sampling occurred on sites treated with 0.005% fipronil grain for flea control and plague mitigation, and non-treated sites functioning as experimental baselines. Prairie dogs were trapped, sexed, aged (adult or juvenile by size), weighed to the nearest 5 gra
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Data on deer mouse and vole plague vaccination and captures in central New Mexico, 2019-2021

Our study was conducted from 2019-2021 in Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico. We live trapped deer mice and two species of voles in Sherman traps, mostly at nighttime, from June-October 2019 and June-September 2020-2021. We marked each rodent with ear tags and a passive integrated transponder for permanent identification. We used an F1 antigen vaccine to vaccinate some individuals against plague.
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Black-tailed prairie dog capture data from plots treated and not treated with oral plague vaccine from 2013-2017 in Montana

Oral sylvatic plague vaccine baits (SPV) and placebo baits were distributed once annually from 2013-2016 on treated and non-treated paired plots from 2013-2016. Black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPD) were live-trapped and permanently marked with passive integrated transponders and ear tags on 4 pairs of plots each year from 2013-2017 to provide capture/recapture data for use in estimating BTPD survival.
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Black-tailed prairie dog movement and bait uptake data from 2013-2017 in Montana

Oral sylvatic plague vaccine baits (SPV) and placebo baits, each containing Rhodamine B dye biomarker, were distributed once annually from 2013-2016 on treated and non-treated paired plots from 2013-2016. Black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPD) were live-trapped and permanently marked with passive integrated transponders and ear tags on 4 pairs of plots each year from 2013-2017 to provide capture/recaptu
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Data on prairie dog densities, flea abundance, and plague epizootics in Montana and Utah, USA

Data on prairie dog densities, flea abundance on prairie dogs, and plague epizootics in Montana and Utah, USA, 2003-2005. Prairie dog species (PDspecies in the data file) included black-tailed prairie dogs (PDs) (BTPD, Cynomys ludovicianus) in north-central Montana, white-tailed PDs (WTPD, Cynomys leucurus) in eastern Utah, and Utah PDs (UPD, Cynomys parvidens) in southwestern Utah. Field research
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Data on finite population change for 3 species of prairie dogs in Montana and Utah, USA, 2000-2005

Data on annual population change for prairie dogs in Montana and Utah, USA, 2000-2005. Prairie dog species included black-tailed prairie dogs (PDs) (BTPD, Cynomys ludovicianus) in north-central Montana, white-tailed PDs (WTPD, Cynomys leucurus) in eastern Utah, and Utah PDs (UPD, Cynomys parvidens) in southwestern Utah. Field research was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Scien
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Plague causes fragmentation of prairie dog colonies in Conata Basin, South Dakota from 1993 - 2015

This data was used to investigate the invasion of a non-native disease, plague, to a keystone species, prairie dogs, in Conata Basin, South Dakota, United States. We documented the resulting extent of fragmentation and habitat loss in western grasslands using colony boundaries mapped by the USFS every one to three years from 1993 - 2015. Specifically, we assessed how the arrival of plague in 2008,
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center

Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS small mammal disease research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS small mammal disease publications is available from the button below.

Complete List of Publications
Filter Total Items: 23

Exploring and mitigating plague for One Health purposes

Purpose of ReviewIn 2020, the Appropriations Committee for the U.S. House of Representatives directed the CDC to develop a national One Health framework to combat zoonotic diseases, including sylvatic plague, which is caused by the flea-borne bacterium Yersinia pestis. This review builds upon that multisectoral objective. We aim to increase awareness of Y. pestis and to highlight examples of plagu
Authors
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Jeffrey Wimsatt, Rebecca J. Eisen, B. Joseph Hinnebusch, Marc R. Matchett, Amanda R. Goldberg, Travis Livieri, Gregory Hacker, Mark Novak, Danielle Buttke, Shaun M. Grassel, John Hughes-Clarke, Linda Atiku
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Plague circulation in small mammals elevates extinction risk for the endangered Peñasco least chipmunk

Wildlife diseases are a major concern for species survival around the world. Vector-borne diseases, in particular, are problematic for both humans and wildlife. Plague is an introduced disease to North America where many species have low natural resistance to infection by the causative bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Plague in the United States is often associated with large-scale epizootic events tha
Authors
Amanda R. Goldberg, David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Reevaluation of the role of blocked Oropsylla hirsuta prairie dog fleas (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) in Yersinia pestis (Enterobacterales: Enterobacteriaceae) transmission

Prairie dogs in the western United States experience periodic epizootics of plague, caused by the flea-borne bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis. An early study indicated that Oropsylla hirsuta (Baker), often the most abundant prairie dog flea vector of plague, seldom transmits Y. pestis by the classic blocked flea mechanism. More recently, an alternative early-phase mode of transmission has been p
Authors
Adélaïde Miarinjara, David A. Eads, David M. Bland, Marc R. Matchett, Dean E. Biggins, B. Joseph Hinnebusch
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Oral sylvatic plague vaccine does not adequately protect prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) for endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) conservation

The plague bacterium Yersinia pestis is lethal to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes, BFF) and the prairie dogs (Cynomys spp., PD) on which they depend for habitat and prey. We assessed the effectiveness of an oral sylvatic plague vaccine delivered in baits to black-tailed PD (Cynomys ludovicianus, BTPD) from 2013 to 2017 on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR) in n
Authors
Marc R. Matchett, Thomas Stanley, Matthew F. McCollister, David A. Eads, Jesse Boulerice, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Comparison of flea sampling methods and Yersinia pestis detection on prairie dog colonies

Scientists collect fleas (Siphonaptera) to survey for Yersinia pestis, the bacterial agent of plague. When studying fleas parasitizing prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), two primary methods are used: (1) combing fleas from live-trapped prairie dogs and (2) swabbing fleas from burrows with cloth swabs attached to metal cables. Ideally, burrow swabbing, the cheaper and easier method, would explain flea bu
Authors
David A. Eads, Marc R. Matchett, Julia Poje, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Utah prairie dog population dynamics on the Awapa Plateau: Precipitation, elevation, and plague

Utah prairie dogs (UPDs, Cynomys parvidens) are colonial, herbivorous rodents listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened. Little is known about UPD population dynamics at higher elevations in the species’ range. From 2013 through 2016, we studied UPDs on five colonies at 2,645 to 2,873 m elevation on the Awapa Plateau, Utah, USA. Primary production increases with precipitation and preci
Authors
David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Insect pathogenic fungi for biocontrol of plague vector fleas: A review

Bubonic plague is a lethal bacterial disease of great historical importance. The plague organism, Yersinia pestis, is primarily transmitted by fleas (Siphonaptera). In natural settings, where its range expands, Y. pestis resides in association with wild rodents and their fleas (sylvatic plague). While chemical insecticides are used against plague vector fleas, biological approaches have not been a
Authors
David A. Eads, Stefan Jaronski, Dean E. Biggins, Jeffrey Wimsatt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Plague transforms positive effects of precipitation on prairie dogs to negative effects

Rodents characteristically benefit from increased precipitation, especially in typically dry habitats; “good years” of high precipitation improve their forage and water balance. However, Yersinia pestis (plague), a flea-borne pathogen of mammals that was introduced to western North America, has the greatest negative impact on at least some species of rodents during years of above-average precipita
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, David A. Eads, Jerry L. Godbey
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Fipronil pellets reduce flea abundance on black-tailed prairie dogs: Potential tool for plague management and black-footed ferret conservation

In western North America, sylvatic plague (a flea-borne disease) poses a significant risk to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their primary prey, prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Pulicides (flea-killing agents) can be used to suppress fleas and thereby manage plague. In South Dakota, US, we tested edible “FipBit” pellets, each containing 0.84 mg fipronil, on free-living black-tai
Authors
David A. Eads, Travis M. Livieri, Phillip Dobesh, Eddie Childers, Lauren Noble, Michele Vasquez, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Epizootic plague in prairie dogs: Correlates and control with deltamethrin

The plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, is a generalist pathogen of flea (Siphonaptera) vectors and mammalian hosts. In colonies of prairie dogs (PDs, Cynomys spp.), Y. pestis causes occasional epizootics, killing ≥90% of PDs within weeks to several months. We evaluated the effectiveness of deltamethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, as a tool for preventing plague epizootics among three PD species. Sp
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Jerry L. Godbey, David A. Eads
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Effects of experimental flea removal and plague vaccine treatments on survival of northern Idaho ground squirrels and two coexisting sciurids

Plague is a non-native disease in North America that reduces survival of many mammals. Previous studies have focused on epizootic plague which causes acute mortality events and dramatic declines in local abundance. We know much less about enzootic plague which causes less punctuated reductions in survival and abundance of infected populations. As a result, enzootic plague is much more difficult to
Authors
Amanda R. Goldberg, Courtney J. Conway, Dean E. Biggins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Fort Collins Science Center

Enzootic plague reduces survival of Mexican woodrats (Neotoma mexicana) in Colorado

Plague is a flea-vectored disease introduced to North America c. 1900. It is lethal to many American mammal species, causes major die-offs (epizootics) in some populations, and may be ecologically disruptive even at lower interepizootic (enzootic) levels of transmission. We sought to determine the effects of enzootic plague on survival of Mexican woodrats (Neotoma mexicana) and to test the hypothe
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Shantini Ramakrishnan, Tonie E. Rocke, Judy L. Williamson, Jeffrey Wimsatt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center
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