Classic flea-borne transmission does not drive plague epizootics in prairie dogs.

ABSTRACT: We lack a clear understanding of the enzootic maintenance of the bacterium (Yersinia pestis) that causes plague and the sporadic epizootics that occur in its natural rodent hosts. A key to elucidating these epidemiological dynamics is determining the dominant transmission routes of plague. Plague can be acquired from the bites of infectious fleas (which is generally considered to occur via a blocked flea vector), inhalation of infectious respiratory droplets, or contact with a short-term infectious reservoir. We present results from a plague modeling approach that includes transmission from all three sources of infection simultaneously and uses sensitivity analysis to determine their relative importance. Our model is completely parameterized by using data from the literature and our own fi

SUBMITTER: Webb CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1434514 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature