title: Infection Prevalence, Bacterial Loads, and Transmission Efficiency in Oropsylla montana (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) One Day After Exposure to Varying Concentrations of Yersinia pestis in Blood.
abstract: Unblocked fleas can transmit Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, shortly (≤4 d) after taking an infectious bloodmeal. Investigators have measured so-called early-phase transmission (EPT) efficiency in various fleas following infection with highly bacteremic blood (≥108cfu/ml). To date, no one has determined the lower limit of bacteremia required for fleas to acquire and transmit infection by EPT, though knowing this threshold is central to determining the length of time a host may be infectious to feeding fleas. Here, we evaluate the ability of Oropsylla montana (Baker) to acquire and transmit Y. pestis after feeding on blood containing 103to 109cfu/ml. We evaluated the resulting infection prevalence, bacterial loads, and transmission efficiency within the early-phase time period at 1 d postinfection. Fleas acquired infection from bacteremic blood across a wide range of concentrations, but transmission was observed only when fleas ingested highly bacteremic blood.
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (kje5@cdc.gov; hyb4@cdc.gov; uzj6@cdc.gov; jam3@cdc.gov; dyn2@cdc.gov) and kje5@cdc.gov.
authors: Karen A
authors: KA
authors: Boegler
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (kje5@cdc.gov; hyb4@cdc.gov; uzj6@cdc.gov; jam3@cdc.gov; dyn2@cdc.gov) and.
authors: Christine B
authors: CB
authors: Graham
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (kje5@cdc.gov; hyb4@cdc.gov; uzj6@cdc.gov; jam3@cdc.gov; dyn2@cdc.gov) and.
authors: Tammi L
authors: TL
authors: Johnson
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (kje5@cdc.gov; hyb4@cdc.gov; uzj6@cdc.gov; jam3@cdc.gov; dyn2@cdc.gov) and.
authors: John A
authors: JA
authors: Montenieri
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (kje5@cdc.gov; hyb4@cdc.gov; uzj6@cdc.gov; jam3@cdc.gov; dyn2@cdc.gov) and.
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Eisen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D058267:Flea Infestations / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D010930:Plague / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Oropsylla montana; Yersinia pestis; early-phase transmission; flea; plague