Flea Loads on Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) During Plague Epizootics in Colorado

Flea Loads on Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) During Plague Epizootics in Colorado PDF Author: Daniel W. Tripp
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bacterial diseases in animals
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Flea Loads on Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) During Plague Epizootics in Colorado

Flea Loads on Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) During Plague Epizootics in Colorado PDF Author: Daniel W. Tripp
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bacterial diseases in animals
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Community Dynamics of Rodents, Fleas and Plague Associated with Black-tailed Prairie Dogs

Community Dynamics of Rodents, Fleas and Plague Associated with Black-tailed Prairie Dogs PDF Author: Bala Thiagarajan
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ISBN: 9781109833171
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are epizootic hosts for plague (Yersinia pestis); however, alternate enzootic hosts are important for the maintenance of the pathogen. We determined small rodents and prairie dog associations and quantified rodent and flea relationships in the presence and absence of prairie dog colonies and plague. We identified potential alternate hosts and flea vectors for the maintenance and transmission of plague in the prairie ecosystem. This is the first multi-year study to investigate associations between prairie dogs, rodents and fleas across the range of the black-tailed prairie dog. Few rodent species associated with black-tailed prairie dogs and were found to be highly abundant on colonies. Rodent species implicated in plague were present at study areas with and without plague. Peromyscus maniculatus and Onychomus leucogaster, two widely occurring species, were more abundant in areas with a recent history of plague. Flea community characteristics varied within each study area in the presence and absence of prairie dogs. Based on flea diversity on rodents, and the role of rodents and fleas in plague, we identified P. maniculatus and O. leucogaster and their associated fleas, Aetheca wagneri, Malareus telchinus, Orchopeas leucopus, Peromyscopsylla hesperomys, and Pleochaetis exilis to be important for the dynamics of sylvatic plague in our study areas. Peromyscus maniculatus and O. leucogaster were consistently infected with Bartonella spp., another blood parasite. Presence of prairie dog fleas on other rodents at both off and on prairie dog colonies suggests the potential for intra and interspecific transmission of fleas between rodent hosts, and between other small rodents and prairie dogs.

Epizootiology of Plague, and Flea Exchange Between Black-tailed Prairie Dogs and Interacting Mammals

Epizootiology of Plague, and Flea Exchange Between Black-tailed Prairie Dogs and Interacting Mammals PDF Author: Mahmoud Karami
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Communicable diseases in animals
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Population Genetics, Fragmentation and Plague in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus)

Population Genetics, Fragmentation and Plague in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) PDF Author: Lisa T. Savage
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Black-tailed prairie dog
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Black-tailed Prairie Dog (cynomys Ludovicianus) Response to Human Intrusion and Urban Development in the Colorado Front Range

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (cynomys Ludovicianus) Response to Human Intrusion and Urban Development in the Colorado Front Range PDF Author: Seth Magle
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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The Role of Short-lived Rodents and Their Fleas in Plague Ecology on Prairie Dog Colonies

The Role of Short-lived Rodents and Their Fleas in Plague Ecology on Prairie Dog Colonies PDF Author: Gebbiena M. Bron
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Multi-host and multi-vector diseases are complex. Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, affects many mammalian species and can be transmitted via several routes, but flea-borne transmission is the primary mode of transmission. Plague can decimate prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) colonies and other species that depend on them, including the endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). After decades of research, plague dynamics on prairie dog colonies are still poorly understood. The purpose of this dissertation was to gain a holistic understanding of the complex dynamics of plague ecology in the western United States, by assessing the role of short-lived rodents and their fleas in plague maintenance and epizootics on prairie dog colonies. Our study was conducted in conjunction with a large-scale, blind, placebo-controlled, field efficacy trial on the newly developed, orally-delivered sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV) for prairie dogs from 2013 to 2015, led by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center. Using a combination of field and laboratory-based studies, we observed that consumption of the SPV did not protect deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and Northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster) from plague and deer mouse abundance and short-lived rodent community structure (richness and evenness) were not significantly different between placebo and vaccine treated prairie dog colonies. Surprisingly, we detected plague positive mouse fleas (Aetheca wagneri, Pleochaetis exilis, Orchopeas leucopus) on mice prior to plague-induced declines in black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus) in Montana and white-tailed prairie dogs (C. leucurus) in Wyoming, but not during plague outbreaks. To determine the possible source of plague infection in the flea pools we used amplicon deep sequencing and we did not detect prairie dog DNA. In addition, rodent-flea interaction networks were highly specialized, geographically different and fleas rarely switched from short-lived rodents to prairie dogs and vice versa. Thus we showed that mice are involved in the plague cycle on prairie dog colonies, but their role remains uncertain and the direct connection between short-lived rodents and prairie dogs stays anecdotal. Overall, these studies demonstrate the complexity involved in plague ecology and highlight the importance of a holistic approach to studying multi-host and multi-vector diseases.

Proceedings of the Symposium on the Management of Prairie Dog Complexes for the Reintroduction of the Black-footed Ferret

Proceedings of the Symposium on the Management of Prairie Dog Complexes for the Reintroduction of the Black-footed Ferret PDF Author: John L. Oldemeyer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Black-footed ferret
Languages : en
Pages : 102

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Effects of Host Density, Active Burrow Density, and Sex Ratio on Ectoparasite Load of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) in Northern Colorado

Effects of Host Density, Active Burrow Density, and Sex Ratio on Ectoparasite Load of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus) in Northern Colorado PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Animal populations
Languages : en
Pages :

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Citizen Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Black-tailed Prairie Dogs

Citizen Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Black-tailed Prairie Dogs PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Black-tailed prairie dog
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Plague and the Black-tailed Prairie Dog: An Introduced Disease Mediates the Effects of an Herbivore on Ecosystem Structure and Function

Plague and the Black-tailed Prairie Dog: An Introduced Disease Mediates the Effects of an Herbivore on Ecosystem Structure and Function PDF Author: Laurel M. Hartley
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781109848700
Category : Black-tailed prairie dog
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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My results suggest that effects of prairie dogs on the shortgrass steppe are generally similar to, but of lower magnitude than, their effects on the more mesic mixed-grass prairie. My research also suggests that plague may be altering the role of prairie dogs in shaping ecosystem structure and function.