Transovarial transmission of Yersinia pestis in its flea vector Xenopsylla cheopis.

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is endemic in certain regions due to a stable transmission cycle between rodents and their associated fleas. In addition, fleas are believed to serve as reservoirs that can occasionally cause enzootic plague cycles and explosive epizootic outbreaks that increase human exposure. However, transmission by fleas is inefficient and associated with a shortened lifespan of the flea and rodent hosts, indicating that there remain significant gaps in our understanding of the vector-animal cycle of Y.

Interrelationship of soil moisture and temperature to sylvatic plague cycle among prairie dogs in the Western United States.

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a flea-borne disease that is endemic in areas throughout the world due to its successful maintenance in a sylvatic cycle, mainly in areas with temperate climates. Burrowing rodents are thought to play a key role in the enzootic maintenance as well as epizootic outbreaks of plague. In the United States, prairie dogs (Cynomys), rodents (Muridae), and ground squirrels (Spermophilus) are susceptible to infection and are parasitized by fleas that transmit plague.

Drosophila as a Model for Understanding the Insect Host of Yersinia pestis.

With the limited availability of genomic sequence information and no established methods for genetic knockdowns or the creation of transgenic fleas and flea cell lines, we have adopted Drosophila melanogaster as a model for the study of the insect life cycle of Yersinia pestis. Infection of Drosophila larvae can be used to model early colonization of fleas, while the established embryonic cell lines can be used to model insect-pathogen interactions that underlie the unique capacity of Y. pestis to colonize the gut of its flea host.

FECAL CORTISOL LEVELS IN SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX, ORYX DAMMAH, REVEALS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CAPTIVE ENVIRONMENTS.

Due to the intensive management of the scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah, involving both captivity and reintroductions, understanding the stress associated with environmental situations this endangered species might experience would be particularly helpful. Fecal cortisol levels were measured across seasons, between captive management programs, and among varying reproductive states in animals held at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (FRWC) and Kansas City Zoo (KCZ). A total of 72 samples were collected from FRWC and 69 samples were collected from KCZ.

Fecal parasite identification by microscopy and PCR in scimitar-horned oryx, , managed at two sites.

The scimitar-horned oryx, , an endangered species extinct in the wild, is managed in various captive management programs and is the focus of reintroduction efforts. Management variability can contribute to substantial parasite load differences, which can affect deworming programs and potentially transfer parasites to different regions with translocations. Parasite studies in are lacking.