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Expansion of prairie dog vaccine proposed

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Use of an oral vaccine that protects prairie dogs from the plague will be expanded on the Charles M. Russell and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuges in Montana under a plan proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The new plan would allow for vaccine distribution on wilderness areas within the refuges and on nearby private lands when requested by landowners. The Service has completed an environmental assessment for the action and is seeking public comment on the proposal.

Read more:  Vaccine

Swabbing Prairie Dog Burrows for Fleas That Transmit Yersinia pestis: Influences on Efficiency.

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Sent on: Sun May 14 05:04:19 2017

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PubMed Results

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1. J Med Entomol. 2017 May 9. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjx090. [Epub ahead of print]

Eads DA1.

Author information:

1Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 (daeads@colostate.edu).

Abstract

Scientists and health-care professionals sometimes use a swabbing technique to collect fleas from rodent burrows, and later test the fleas for Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. Detection of Y. pestis is enhanced when large pools of fleas are available. The following study investigated factors that might affect the rate at which fleas are collected from burrows in colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Data were collected from 13 colonies in New Mexico during 0600-1000 hours, June-August 2010-2011. Fleas were scarce on swabs inserted into burrows that were not actively used by prairie dogs; fleas are presumably suppressed in burrows that are void of hosts and might have begun to collapse due to a lack of maintenance. Fleas were scarce on swabs inserted into burrows with little sunlight entering the tunnel; many species of fleas use changes in light intensity to locate objects, but if light is limited, it might be difficult to locate a swab. Fleas were scarce on swabs inserted to shallow depths underground, especially during hot mornings, and during the hottest portions of mornings; when conditions are hot above ground, ectothermic fleas might migrate into the deep components of burrows, or become less willing to jump onto hosts, making it difficult to collect the fleas with swabs. If the swabbing technique is used to survey for Y. pestis on colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs, investigators might use the results of this study to modify their methods and increase the number of fleas collected.

© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
PMID: 28486652
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Responses of Juvenile Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) to a Commercially Produced Oral Plague Vaccine Delivered at Two Doses.

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PubMed Results

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1. J Wildl Dis. 2017 May 2. doi: 10.7589/2017-02-033. [Epub ahead of print]

Responses of Juvenile Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) to a Commercially Produced Oral Plague Vaccine Delivered at Two Doses.

Cárdenas-Canales EM1, Wolfe LL1, Tripp DW1, Rocke TE2, Abbott RC2, Miller MW1.

Author information:

11 Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Wildlife Health Program, Foothills Wildlife Research Facility, 4330 Laporte Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado 80521-2153, USA.22 United States Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA.

Abstract

We confirmed safety and immunogenicity of mass-produced vaccine baits carrying an experimental, commercial-source plague vaccine (RCN-F1/V307) expressing Yersinia pestis V and F1 antigens. Forty-five juvenile black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) were randomly divided into three treatment groups (n=15 animals/group). Animals in the first group received one standard-dose vaccine bait (5×107 plaque-forming units [pfu]; STD). The second group received a lower-dose bait (1×107 pfu; LOW). In the third group, five animals received two standard-dose baits and 10 were left untreated but in contact. Two vaccine-treated and one untreated prairie dogs died during the study, but laboratory analyses ruled out vaccine involvement. Overall, 17 of 33 (52%; 95% confidence interval for binomial proportion [bCI] 34-69%) prairie dogs receiving vaccine-laden bait showed a positive anti-V antibody response on at least one sampling occasion after bait consumption, and eight (24%; bCI 11-42%) showed sustained antibody responses. The STD and LOW groups did not differ (P≥0.78) in their proportions of overall or sustained antibody responses after vaccine bait consumption. Serum from one of the nine (11%; bCI 0.3-48%) surviving untreated, in-contact prairie dogs also had detectable antibody on one sampling occasion. We did not observe any adverse effects related to oral vaccination.
PMID: 28463626

Burrowing Owls, Pulex irritans, and Plague.

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Sent on: Sat Apr 22 08:14:51 2017

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1. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2015 Sep;15(9):556-64. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2015.1772. Epub 2015 Sep 14.

Belthoff JR1, Bernhardt SA2, Ball CL3, Gregg M4, Johnson DH5, Ketterling R6, Price E7, Tinker JK7.

Author information:

11 Department of Biological Sciences and Raptor Research Center, Boise State University , Boise, Idaho.22 Department of Biology, Utah State University , Logan, Utah.33 Idaho Bureau of Laboratories , Boise, Idaho.44 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex , Burbank, Washington.55 Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho and Global Owl Project , Alexandria, Virginia.66 Idaho Bureau of Laboratories and Idaho State University , Boise, Idaho.77 Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University , Boise, Idaho.

Abstract

Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are small, ground-dwelling owls of western North America that frequent prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) towns and other grasslands. Because they rely on rodent prey and occupy burrows once or concurrently inhabited by fossorial mammals, the owls often harbor fleas. We examined the potential role of fleas found on burrowing owls in plague dynamics by evaluating prevalence of Yersinia pestis in fleas collected from burrowing owls and in owl blood. During 2012-2013, fleas and blood were collected from burrowing owls in portions of five states with endemic plague-Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and South Dakota. Fleas were enumerated, taxonomically identified, pooled by nest, and assayed for Y. pestis using culturing and molecular (PCR) approaches. Owl blood underwent serological analysis for plague antibodies and nested PCR for detection of Y. pestis. Of more than 4750 fleas collected from owls, Pulex irritans, a known plague vector in portions of its range, comprised more than 99.4%. However, diagnostic tests for Y. pestis of flea pools (culturing and PCR) and owl blood (PCR and serology) were negative. Thus, even though fleas were prevalent on burrowing owls and the potential for a relationship with burrowing owls as a phoretic host of infected fleas exists, we found no evidence of Y. pestis in sampled fleas or in owls that harbored them. We suggest that studies similar to those reported here during plague epizootics will be especially useful for confirming these results.
PMID: 26367482 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
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