title: Burrowing Owls, Pulex irritans, and Plague.
abstract: Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are small, ground-dwelling owls of western North America that frequent prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) towns and other grasslands. Because they rely on rodent prey and occupy burrows once or concurrently inhabited by fossorial mammals, the owls often harbor fleas. We examined the potential role of fleas found on burrowing owls in plague dynamics by evaluating prevalence of Yersinia pestis in fleas collected from burrowing owls and in owl blood. During 2012-2013, fleas and blood were collected from burrowing owls in portions of five states with endemic plague-Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and South Dakota. Fleas were enumerated, taxonomically identified, pooled by nest, and assayed for Y. pestis using culturing and molecular (PCR) approaches. Owl blood underwent serological analysis for plague antibodies and nested PCR for detection of Y. pestis. Of more than 4750 fleas collected from owls, Pulex irritans, a known plague vector in portions of its range, comprised more than 99.4%. However, diagnostic tests for Y. pestis of flea pools (culturing and PCR) and owl blood (PCR and serology) were negative. Thus, even though fleas were prevalent on burrowing owls and the potential for a relationship with burrowing owls as a phoretic host of infected fleas exists, we found no evidence of Y. pestis in sampled fleas or in owls that harbored them. We suggest that studies similar to those reported here during plague epizootics will be especially useful for confirming these results.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Biological Sciences and Raptor Research Center, Boise State University , Boise, Idaho.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Belthoff
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Biology, Utah State University , Logan, Utah.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
authors.affiliation: 3 Idaho Bureau of Laboratories , Boise, Idaho.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: 4 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex , Burbank, Washington.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregg
authors.affiliation: 5 Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho and Global Owl Project , Alexandria, Virginia.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: 6 Idaho Bureau of Laboratories and Idaho State University , Boise, Idaho.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ketterling
authors.affiliation: 7 Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University , Boise, Idaho.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: 7 Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University , Boise, Idaho.
authors.forename: Juliette K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tinker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D058267:Flea Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009922:Oregon / Q000453:epidemiology; D010930:Plague / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000382:microbiology*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology*; D013023:South Dakota / Q000453:epidemiology; D020305:Strigiformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers
keywords: Athene cunicularia hypugaea; Fleas; Plague; Pulex irritans; United States; Western Burrowing Owls; Yersinia pestis