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Human case of bubonic plague resulting from the bite of a wild Gunnison's prairie dog during translocation from a plague‐endemic area
Author(s) -
Melman S. D.,
Ettestad P. E.,
VinHatton E. S.,
Ragsdale J. M.,
Takacs N.,
Onischuk L. M.,
Leonard P. M.,
Master S. S.,
Lucero V. S.,
Kingry L. C.,
Petersen J. M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
zoonoses and public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1863-2378
pISSN - 1863-1959
DOI - 10.1111/zph.12419
Subject(s) - plague (disease) , enzootic , yersinia pestis , prairie dog , veterinary medicine , flea , wildlife , quarantine , cynomys ludovicianus , biology , virology , zoology , medicine , geography , ecology , archaeology , virulence , biochemistry , virus , gene
Summary Plague is a zoonotic disease (transmitted mainly by fleas and maintained in nature by rodents) that causes severe acute illness in humans. We present a human plague case who became infected by the bite of a wild Gunnison's prairie dog, and a good practical example of the One Health approach that resulted in a rapid public health response. The exposure occurred while the animal was being transported for relocation to a wildlife refuge after being trapped in a plague enzootic area. This is the first report of a human plague case resulting from the bite of a Gunnison's prairie dog. Additionally, we present an observation of a longer incubation period for plague in captive prairie dogs, leading to a recommendation for a longer quarantine period for prairie dogs during translocation efforts.