In this study, 20 laboratory reared Onychomys leucogaster from a parental population that is naturally exposed to plague were each fed a white mouse that had been inoculated with Yersinia pestis. Three of the 20 O. leucogaster died, four survived with antibody titers against Y. pestis and 13 survived with no titer against Y. pestis. In contrast, when 20 O. leucogaster from a plague naive parental population were fed infected prey, seven died and 13 survived with no antibody titer against Y. pestis. Our results suggest another means by which O. leucogaster from populations that are naturally exposed to plague may acquire the disease.
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1 October 1989
EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED PLAGUE INFECTION IN THE NORTHERN GRASSHOPPER MOUSE (ONYCHOMYS LEUCOGASTER) ACQUIRED BY CONSUMPTION OF INFECTED PREY
R. E. Thomas,
M. L. Beard,
T. J. Quan,
L. G. Carter,
A. M. Barnes,
C. E. Hopla
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 25 • No. 4
October 1989
Vol. 25 • No. 4
October 1989
experimental study
grasshopper mouse
infected prey
Onychomys leucogaster
oral transmission
plague
Yersinia pestis