US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA.
Prairie Wildlife Research, PO Box 308, Wellington, Colorado 80549, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2021 Apr 1;57(2):434-438. doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-20-00161.
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-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludivicianus). FipBits were applied along transects at 125 per ha and nearly eliminated fleas for 2 mo. From 9-14 mo post-treatment, we found only 10 fleas on FipBit sites versus 1,266 fleas on nontreated sites. This degree and duration of flea control should suppress plague transmission. FipBits are effective, inexpensive, and easily distributed but require federal approval for operational use.
在北美西部，丛林鼠疫（一种跳蚤传播的疾病）对濒危的黑足雪貂（Mustela nigripes）及其主要猎物草原犬鼠（Cynomys spp.）构成重大威胁。杀蚤剂（跳蚤杀灭剂）可用于抑制跳蚤，从而控制鼠疫。在美国南达科他州，我们对自由生活的黑尾草原犬鼠（Cynomys ludivicianus）进行了含有 0.84 毫克氟虫腈的可食用“FipBit”丸剂的测试。每公顷施用 125 个 FipBit，可在 2 个月内几乎消灭跳蚤。在治疗后 9-14 个月期间，我们仅在 FipBit 地点发现了 10 只跳蚤，而在未处理的地点则发现了 1,266 只跳蚤。这种程度和持续时间的跳蚤控制应该可以抑制鼠疫的传播。FipBit 有效、廉价且易于分发，但需要联邦批准才能投入使用。
