From:
secretweasel@mad.scientist.com
Date: 2001-06-25 00:47:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Re report about bubonic plague in prairie dogs
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., weezul <weezul1@y...> wrote:
> Hi guys
>
> I read a report on the ABC news site about bubonic
> plague being discovered amongst prairie dogs in
> Colorado Springs - apparently due to fleas.
>
> That made me wonder about black footed ferrets
> catching the disease and, obviously, if it could
> spread via fleas to other animals.
By killing off their main food source (prairie dogs), plague (you
might search under sylvatic plague in prairie dogs instead of bubonic
plague ) can have a dramatic impact on BFF.
Studies in 1995 showed that BFF/Siberian polecat hybrids are
susceptible to plague both from ingesting diseased mice and through
(simulated) flea bites. I don't know of more recent results.
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