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Eads DA, Castle KT, Wild MA, Borchert JN, Livieri TM, Matchett MR, Dobesh P, Hughes JP, Childers E. EVALUATING BAITS WITH LUFENURON AND NITENPYRAM FOR FLEA CONTROL ON PRAIRIE DOGS (CYNOMYS SPP.) TO MITIGATE PLAGUE. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:662-672. [PMID: 37486875 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a widespread threat to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their primary prey, prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Wildlife biologists most commonly manage plague using insecticides to control fleas, the primary vectors of Y. pestis. We tested edible baits containing the insecticides lufenuron and/or nitenpyram in prairie dogs. During a laboratory study, we treated 26 white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus) with lufenuron at 300 mg/kg body mass. All animals remained clinically healthy over the 9 wk monitoring period. Although serum lufenuron concentrations were >130 ppb in two treatment groups at week 1, concentrations declined to ≤60 ppb after 3 wk in non-torpid prairie dogs and after 7 wk in torpid prairie dogs. In a field experiment, we tested baits containing a combination of 75 mg lufenuron and 6 mg nitenpyram, respectively, in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). We uniformly distributed baits at 125 baits/ha on two plots (treated once) and 250 baits/ha on two plots (each treated twice 4.4 wk apart). Following treatments, flea abundance increased on prairie dogs and remained stable in burrows. Our findings indicate that baits containing lufenuron and nitenpyram, at the reported treatment rates, are ineffective tools for flea control on prairie dogs. Future experiments might evaluate efficacy of higher doses of lufenuron and nitenpyram, and repetitive treatments at differing intervals over time to evaluate potentially therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA
| | - Kevin T Castle
- Wildlife Veterinary Consulting LLC, 840 Sundance Drive, Livermore, Colorado 80536, USA
| | - Margaret A Wild
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, P.O. Box 647040, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
| | - Jeff N Borchert
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
| | - Travis M Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, 1574 Timber Shores Drive, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481, USA
| | - Marc R Matchett
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 110, 333 Airport Road Lewistown, Montana 59457, USA
| | - Phillip Dobesh
- U.S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, 710 Main Street, Wall, South Dakota 57790, USA
| | - John P Hughes
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, P.O. Box 190, Carr, Colorado 80549, USA
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, South Dakota 57750, USA
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Poché DM, Smith Z, Poché RM. Efficacy of a federally approved flea bait, orally administered to white-footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus), against blood feeding Ixodes scapularis larvae under simulated field conditions. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:33-42. [PMID: 37124670 PMCID: PMC10139977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
A promising alternative approach to conventional vector control practices is the use of systemic insecticides/acaricides orally administered to relevant mammalian host species to control blood feeding disease vectors. In the United States, Lyme disease continues to be the most prevalent vector-borne disease with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating approximately 500,000 Lyme disease infections each year. Previous research has demonstrated the potential usefulness of a low dose fipronil bait in controlling Ixodes scapularis larvae feeding on white-footed mice. However, no such acaricide-only product is approved for use in treating white-footed mice to control I. scapularis. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of a federally approved fipronil flea control bait (Grain Bait) in controlling I. scapularis parasitizing white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). A simulated field trial was conducted in which Grain Bait was presented to grouped white-footed mice alongside an alternative diet for 168 h. Mice were fitted with capsules and manually parasitized with I. scapularis larvae. Replete larvae detaching from each mouse were collected and monitored for molting to nymphs. The inside of each capsule was observed to evaluate tick attachment. Blood was collected from all Treatment group mice via cardiac puncture to determine the fipronil sulfone concentration in plasma (CP) for each animal. Results indicated that Grain Bait would be consumed in the presence of an alternative diet and that bait acceptance was greater for males, relative to females. Treatment with Grain Bait prevented 100% larvae from feeding to repletion at Day 7 post-exposure and prevented 80% of larvae from feeding to repletion and 84% from molting at Day 21 post-exposure, relative to Control groups. Molted nymphs were not recovered from mice that had CP detectable ≥18.4 ng/ml. The results suggest that this federally approved flea product could be utilized for tick control and that other medically important vector-host relationships should be considered.
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Eads DA, Livieri TM, Dobesh P, Hughes JP, Fly J, Redmond H, Childers E, Schwarz MS, Biggins DE. Plague mitigation for prairie dog and black-footed ferret conservation: Degree and duration of flea control with 0.005% fipronil grain bait. Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis 2023; 3:100124. [PMID: 37305434 PMCID: PMC10250916 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sylvatic plague, a primarily flea-borne zoonosis, is a significant threat to prairie dogs (Cynomys spp., PDs) and their specialized predators, endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes, BFFs). Host-fed fipronil baits have proven effective in controlling fleas on PDs for the purposes of plague mitigation and BFF conservation. Currently, annual treatments are the norm. We tested the long-term efficacy of fipronil bait treatments with black-tailed PDs (C. ludovicianus, BTPDs) and BFFs in South Dakota, USA. During 2018-2020, we provided BTPDs on 21 sites with grain bait formula, laced with 0.005% fipronil (50 mg/kg); 18 non-treated sites functioned as baselines. In 2020-2022, we live-trapped, anesthetized, and combed BTPDs for fleas. Flea control was significant for at least 639-885 days. Flea abundance on the treated sites was < 0.5 fleas/BTPD for ∼750 days. During 2020-2022, we sampled BFFs for fleas on 4 BTPD colonies treated with fipronil grain bait and 8 non-treated colonies. Flea control was significant with BFFs, but flea abundance began to rebound within ∼240 days post-treatment. When feasible, the combination of insecticide treatments, such as fipronil baits, and BFF vaccination against plague provide a "two-pronged" protection approach for these endangered carnivores. If fipronil bait treatments are less effective with predatory BFFs than PDs, as found herein, the "two-pronged" approach might be used to protect BFFs and biennial fipronil bait treatments might be used to protect PDs. If BFF vaccination is not possible, or few BFFs can be vaccinated, annual fipronil bait treatments might be used as a precaution to protect BFFs. Flea densities might be surveyed to determine when/where more frequent treatments seem useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Eads
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Phillip Dobesh
- U. S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, Wall, SD, USA
| | - John P. Hughes
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, CO, USA
| | - Jason Fly
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Holly Redmond
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Interior, SD, USA
| | - Matthew S. Schwarz
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Dakota Field Office, Pierre, SD, USA
| | - Dean E. Biggins
- U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Eads D, Buehler L, Esbenshade A, Fly J, Miller E, Redmond H, Ritter E, Tynes C, Wittmann S, Roghair P, Childers E. One Health in action: flea control and interpretative education at Badlands National Park. J Vector Ecol 2022; 47:227-229. [PMID: 36314678 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-47.2.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, CO, U.S.A.,
| | - Lindsey Buehler
- Prairie Wildlife Research, WI, U.S.A
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | | | - Jason Fly
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Evan Miller
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Holly Redmond
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Emily Ritter
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Caitlyn Tynes
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Sasha Wittmann
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Paul Roghair
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
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Eads D, Livieri T, Tretten T, Hughes J, Kaczor N, Halsell E, Grassel S, Dobesh P, Childers E, Lucas D, Noble L, Vasquez M, Grady AC, Biggins D. Assembling a safe and effective toolbox for integrated flea control and plague mitigation: Fipronil experiments with prairie dogs. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272419. [PMID: 35939486 PMCID: PMC9359584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plague, a widely distributed zoonotic disease of mammalian hosts and flea vectors, poses a significant risk to ecosystems throughout much of Earth. Conservation biologists use insecticides for flea control and plague mitigation. Here, we evaluate the use of an insecticide grain bait, laced with 0.005% fipronil (FIP) by weight, with black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPDs, Cynomys ludovicianus). We consider safety measures, flea control, BTPD body condition, BTPD survival, efficacy of plague mitigation, and the speed of FIP grain application vs. infusing BTPD burrows with insecticide dusts. We also explore conservation implications for endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), which are specialized predators of Cynomys. Principal findings During 5- and 10-day laboratory trials in Colorado, USA, 2016–2017, FIP grain had no detectable acute toxic effect on 20 BTPDs that readily consumed the grain. During field experiments in South Dakota, USA, 2016–2020, FIP grain suppressed fleas on BTPDs for at least 12 months and up to 24 months in many cases; short-term flea control on a few sites was poor for unknown reasons. In an area of South Dakota where plague circulation appeared low or absent, FIP grain had no detectable effect, positive or negative, on BTPD survival. Experimental results suggest FIP grain may have improved BTPD body condition (mass:foot) and reproduction (juveniles:adults). During a 2019 plague epizootic in Colorado, BTPDs on 238 ha habitat were protected by FIP grain, whereas BTPDs were nearly eliminated on non-treated habitat. Applications of FIP grain were 2–4 times faster than dusting BTPD burrows. Significance Deltamethrin dust is the most commonly used insecticide for plague mitigation on Cynomys colonies. Fleas on BTPD colonies exhibit the ability to evolve resistance to deltamethrin after repeated annual treatments. Thus, more tools are needed. Accumulating data show orally-delivered FIP is safe and usually effective for flea control with BTPDs, though potential acute toxic effects cannot be ruled out. With continued study and refinement, FIP might be used in rotation with, or even replace deltamethrin, and serve an important role in Cynomys and black-footed ferret conservation. More broadly, our stepwise approach to research on FIP may function as a template or guide for evaluations of insecticides in the context of wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Travis Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Tyler Tretten
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, Colorado, United States of America
| | - John Hughes
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nick Kaczor
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arvada, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Emily Halsell
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arvada, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Shaun Grassel
- Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Phillip Dobesh
- U.S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, Wall, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Rapid City, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - David Lucas
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arvada, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lauren Noble
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michele Vasquez
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Anna Catherine Grady
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Dean Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Eads DA, Matchett MR, Poje JE, Biggins DE. Comparison of Flea Sampling Methods and Yersinia pestis Detection on Prairie Dog Colonies. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:753-761. [PMID: 34388354 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientists collect fleas (Siphonaptera) to survey for Yersinia pestis, the bacterial agent of plague. When studying fleas parasitizing prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), two primary methods are used: (1) combing fleas from live-trapped prairie dogs and (2) swabbing fleas from burrows with cloth swabs attached to metal cables. Ideally, burrow swabbing, the cheaper and easier method, would explain flea burdens on prairie dogs and provide reliable information on plague prevalence. In a linear regression analysis of data from 1-month intervals (June-August 2010-2011) on 13 colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus, BTPDs) in New Mexico, flea abundance on swabs explained 0-26% of variation in BTPD flea burdens. In an analysis of data (May-August 2016) from six colonies of BTPDs in Montana, flea abundance on swabs explained 2% of variation in BTPD flea burdens. In an analysis of data from a short-term interval (July 23-27, 2019) on four colonies of BTPDs in Montana, flea abundance on swabs explained 0.1% of variation in BTPD flea burdens. In an analysis of data from 1-week intervals (August-October 2000) on four colonies of white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus, WTPD) in Utah, swabbing data explained 0.1% of variation in WTPD flea burdens. Pools of fleas from two WTPD colonies were tested for Y. pestis by mouse inoculation and isolation; 65% from WTPDs tested positive, whereas 4% from burrows tested positive. Data herein also show that results from burrow swabbing can misrepresent flea species composition and phenology on prairie dogs. Burrow swabbing is useful for some purposes, but limitations should be acknowledged, and accumulated data should be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Marc R Matchett
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Lewistown, Montana, USA
| | - Julia E Poje
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Dean E Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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