Sylvatic Plague Active
Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.
Plague is widespread throughout the western U.S. and frequently occurs in wild rodents. All four species of prairie dogs in the U.S. are particularly susceptible to plague, suffering high mortality rates during outbreaks (> 90%) and resulting in local extirpation and population reductions. As a keystone species of grassland ecosystems, prairie dog losses significantly impact numerous other species that depend on them for food or shelter, including endangered black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls, mountain plovers, and several canine and avian predators. Controlling plague is a vital concern for ongoing management and conservation efforts for prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets.
Currently, plague is managed in prairie dogs through manual application of insecticides to burrows to kill the fleas that transmit Y. pestis. However, this process is labor intensive, and recent evidence suggests that fleas can develop resistance to the most frequently used pesticide.
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in conjunction with others, has developed and tested a sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV), deliverable to prairie dogs via palatable bait that offers an additional approach for plague management. From 2013-15, NWHC scientists conducted a large, collaborative field study to test the effectiveness of SPV in reducing mortality from plague in four species of prairie dogs in 7 western states. This study involved state, federal, tribal and non-government agencies organized under the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team (BFFRIT), a multi-agency effort led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The study found that vaccine treatment increased prairie dog abundance and also increased survival at sites with plague outbreaks. However, ongoing research is needed to scale-up SPV use as a management tool and to determine if its use will provide benefits to other species, like black-footed ferrets, or whether it could be used to protect public health. Learn more about NWHC work on vaccines.
Additional Sylvatic Plague Vaccine Resources
Below are multimedia items related to sylvatic plague.
Below are publications about sylvatic plague.
Plague
A recombinant raccoon poxvirus vaccine expressing both Yersinia pestis F1 and truncated V antigens protects animals against lethal plague.
Sylvatic plague vaccine: A new tool for conservation of threatened and endangered species?
Sylvatic plague vaccine and management of prairie dogs
Plague
Sylvatic plague vaccine: combating plague in prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets
Protecting Black-Footed Ferrets and Prairie Dogs against sylvatic plague
Recombinant F1-V fusion protein protects black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) against virulent Yersinia pestis infection
Below are news stories about sylvatic plague.
- Overview
Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.
Plague is widespread throughout the western U.S. and frequently occurs in wild rodents. All four species of prairie dogs in the U.S. are particularly susceptible to plague, suffering high mortality rates during outbreaks (> 90%) and resulting in local extirpation and population reductions. As a keystone species of grassland ecosystems, prairie dog losses significantly impact numerous other species that depend on them for food or shelter, including endangered black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls, mountain plovers, and several canine and avian predators. Controlling plague is a vital concern for ongoing management and conservation efforts for prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets.
Currently, plague is managed in prairie dogs through manual application of insecticides to burrows to kill the fleas that transmit Y. pestis. However, this process is labor intensive, and recent evidence suggests that fleas can develop resistance to the most frequently used pesticide.
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in conjunction with others, has developed and tested a sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV), deliverable to prairie dogs via palatable bait that offers an additional approach for plague management. From 2013-15, NWHC scientists conducted a large, collaborative field study to test the effectiveness of SPV in reducing mortality from plague in four species of prairie dogs in 7 western states. This study involved state, federal, tribal and non-government agencies organized under the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team (BFFRIT), a multi-agency effort led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The study found that vaccine treatment increased prairie dog abundance and also increased survival at sites with plague outbreaks. However, ongoing research is needed to scale-up SPV use as a management tool and to determine if its use will provide benefits to other species, like black-footed ferrets, or whether it could be used to protect public health. Learn more about NWHC work on vaccines.
Additional Sylvatic Plague Vaccine Resources
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items related to sylvatic plague.
- Publications
Below are publications about sylvatic plague.
Plague
Plague offers readers an overview of this highly complex disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. The history of the disease, as well as information about Yersinia pestis and its transmission by fleas, is described. The section Geographic Distribution presents areas of the world and United States where plague occurs most commonly in rodents and humans. Species Susceptibility describes infecAuthorsRachel C. Abbott, Tonie E. RockeFilter Total Items: 19A recombinant raccoon poxvirus vaccine expressing both Yersinia pestis F1 and truncated V antigens protects animals against lethal plague.
In previous studies, we demonstrated in mice and prairie dogs that simultaneous administration of two recombinant raccoon poxviruses (rRCN) expressing Yersinia pestis antigens (F1 and V307-a truncated version of the V protein) provided superior protection against plague challenge compared to individual single antigen constructs. To reduce costs of vaccine production and facilitate implementation oAuthorsTonie E. Rocke, B Kingstad-Bakke, W Berlier, J.E. OsorioSylvatic plague vaccine: A new tool for conservation of threatened and endangered species?
Plague, a disease caused by Yersinia pestis introduced into North America about 100 years ago, is devastating to prairie dogs and the highly endangered black-footed ferret. Current attempts to control plague in these species have historically relied on insecticidal dusting of prairie dog burrows to kill the fleas that spread the disease. Although successful in curtailing outbreaks in most instanceAuthorsRachel C. Abbott, Jorge E. Osorio, Christine M. Bunck, Tonie E. RockeSylvatic plague vaccine and management of prairie dogs
Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin (UW), have developed a sylvatic plague vaccine that shows great promise in protecting prairie dogs against plague (Mencher and others, 2004; Rocke and others, 2010). Four species of prairie dogs reside in the United States and Canada, and all are highly susceptible to plagAuthorsTonie E. RockePlague
Plague offers readers an overview of this highly complex disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. The history of the disease, as well as information about Yersinia pestis and its transmission by fleas, is described. The section Geographic Distribution presents areas of the world and United States where plague occurs most commonly in rodents and humans. Species Susceptibility describes infecAuthorsRachel C. Abbott, Tonie E. RockeSylvatic plague vaccine: combating plague in prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets
After achieving promising results in laboratory trials, researchers at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and University of Wisconsin at Madison will soon begin field testing a new oral vaccine for sylvatic plague, a devastating disease affecting prairie dogs and other mammals, particularly the endangered black-footed ferret. Our team has developed and is currently registering a sylvaAuthorsTonie E. Rocke, Rachel C. AbbottProtecting Black-Footed Ferrets and Prairie Dogs against sylvatic plague
Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in collaboration with colleagues at other federal agencies and the University of Wisconsin, are developing and testing vaccines that can be used to protect black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs against plague. The black-footed ferret is commonly regarded as the most endangered mammal in North America, and sylvatic plague is a major impAuthorsTonie E. RockeRecombinant F1-V fusion protein protects black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) against virulent Yersinia pestis infection
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are highly susceptible to sylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and this disease has severely hampered efforts to restore ferrets to their historic range. A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of vaccination of black-footed ferrets against plague using a recombinant protein vaccine, designated F1-V, developed by personnel at the U.AuthorsTonie E. Rocke, J. Mencher, Susan Smith, A. M. Friedlander, G.P. Andrews, L. A. Baeten - News
Below are news stories about sylvatic plague.