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NWDP: Plague in Wildlife

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Plague has been identified as a disease of concern to human, wildlife, and domestic

animal populations within the United States. It is also considered a "Category A"

disease by the Department of Homeland Security, meaning it could potentially be

used as a bioterrorist agent.
In the United States, plague is almost exclusively restricted to the western half of

the country (roughly west of the 100th meridian). This infectious disease is caused

by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is primarily vectored by fleas, although other

transmission routes also exist.

Affected Species

In North America plague mostly affects rodent populations such as chipmunks,

ground squirrels, and prairie dogs. These rodent populations serve as the primary

reservoir for the disease. Plague can also affect other mammals, such as carnivores

and scavengers that feed on rodents. Plague represents a health and safety threat

to humans, especially in places where humans and rodents overlap. There are

currently about a dozen human plague cases reported each year.

Feline species, such as bobcats, mountain lions, and domestic cats are particularly

susceptible to plague while canine species, including coyotes, wolves, and domestic

dogs, tend to be somewhat resistant to plague. Because cats are susceptible to

plague and can develop the highly contagious form of the disease (pneumonic

plague), they can represent a health threat to people who come in contact with

them (i.e., hunters, wildlife personnel and pet owners). While canids typically do not

tend to develop an active form of plague, they do readily develop antibodies.

NWDP Activities

NWDP biologists work closely with other WS personnel who conduct wildlife damage

management activities to protect human health, agriculture, and natural resources.

For example, collecting samples from coyotes taken during wildlife damage

management activities is useful because coyotes make frequent contact with

rodents through predation and scavenging. If contact is made with an infected

rodent, the coyote may develop antibodies (evidence of an immune response),

which indicates that plague is likely present in the area. Since 2005, the NWDP has

screened nearly 50,000 wildlife samples for plague exposure.

More Information
Plague Exposure in Mammalian Wildlife Across the Western United States

Contact Us

National Wildlife Disease Program

The National Wildlife Disease Program works with partners nationwide to conduct

disease monitoring and surveillance in wild animals and is the primary emergency

response contact point within APHIS Wildlife Services. Our program coordinator is

available for questions about wildlife disease monitoring and surveillance, the status

of disease outbreaks and emerging disease events, and wildlife emergency response

activities in natural disasters (floods, hurricanes, wildfires) or oil spills.

Julianna Lenoch

National Wildlife Disease Program Coordinator

Email: julianna.b.lenoch@usda.gov

Phone: 970-266-6350

Sarah Bevins

Assistant National Wildlife Disease Program Coordinator

Email: sarah.n.bevins@usda.gov

All Contacts