Salkeld Daniel J, Stapp Paul
Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, CA 94720, USA.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2008 Jun;8(3):331-7. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0199.
Plague, the disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, can have devastating impacts on black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies. One suggested mechanism behind sporadic prairie dog die-offs involves an alternative mammal host, such as the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), which often inhabits prairie dog colonies. We examined the flea populations of deer mice to investigate the potential of flea-borne transmission of plague between deer mice and prairie dogs in northern Colorado, where plague is active in prairie dog colonies. Deer mice were predominantly infested with the flea Aetheca wagneri, and were rarely infested with prairie dog fleas, Oropsylla hirsuta. Likelihood of flea infestation increased with average monthly temperature, and flea loads were higher in reproductive animals. These results suggest that the deer mouse is an unlikely maintenance host of plague in this region.
鼠疫是由鼠疫耶尔森菌引起的疾病，会对黑尾土拨鼠（Cynomys ludovicianus）群落产生毁灭性影响。散发性土拨鼠死亡背后的一种推测机制涉及一种替代哺乳动物宿主，比如鹿鼠（Peromyscus maniculatus），它经常栖息在土拨鼠群落中。我们研究了鹿鼠的跳蚤种群，以调查在科罗拉多州北部跳蚤传播鼠疫在鹿鼠和土拨鼠之间的可能性，该地区土拨鼠群落中有鼠疫活动。鹿鼠主要感染瓦格纳艾氏蚤，很少感染土拨鼠跳蚤——粗毛山蚤。跳蚤感染的可能性随月平均温度升高而增加，繁殖期动物的跳蚤负荷更高。这些结果表明，鹿鼠不太可能是该地区鼠疫的维持宿主。
