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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 |
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| Authors: | S D Melman P E Ettestad E S VinHatton J M Ragsdale N Takacs L M Onischuk P M Leonard S S Master V S Lucero L C Kingry J M Petersen |
| Institution: | 1. Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, USA;2. New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Albuquerque, NM, USA;3. Scientific Laboratory Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Albuquerque, NM, USA;4. City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM, USA;5. Division of Vector‐Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA |
| Abstract: | 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. |
| Keywords: | Cynomys gunnisoni disease introduction plague prairie dogs translocation Yersinia pestis |