Tularemia (Francisella tularensis) in a Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) Colony

J Wildl Dis. 2019 Oct;55(4):944-946. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Abstract

Tularemia is a bacterial zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis. We conducted a serosurvey of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, US, following an epizootic in voles ( Microtus spp.) due to F. tularensis. Only 1 of 44 (2%) sampled prairie dogs was seropositive for F. tularensis, providing evidence of survival and potentially limited spread among free-ranging prairie dogs.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arvicolinae / microbiology
  • Francisella tularensis / isolation & purification*
  • Sciuridae / microbiology*
  • Wyoming / epidemiology
  • Zoonoses