Gene flow in a Yersinia pestis vector, Oropsylla hirsuta, during a plague epizootic

Appreciating how Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague, spreads among black - tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies (BTPD), is vital to wildlife conservation programs in North American grasslands. A little - studied aspect of the system is the role of Y. pestis vectors, i.e. fleas, play in the spreading of plague in natural settings. We investigated the genetic structure and variability of a common prairie dog flea (Oropsylla hirsuta) in BTPD colonies in order to examine dispersal patterns. Given that this research took place during a widespread plague epizootic, there was the added advantage of gaining information on the dynamics of sylvatic plague.

Oropsylla hirsuta were collected from BTPD burrows in nine colonies from May 2005 to July 2005, and eight polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to generate genotypic data from them. Gene flow estimates revealed low genetic differentiation among fleas sampled from different colonies. NestedPCR plague assays confirmed the presence of Y. pestis with the average Y. pestis prevalence across all nine colonies at 12%. No significant correlations were found between the genetic variability and gene flow of O. hirsuta and Y. pestis prevalence on a per -colony basis.

Oropsylla hirsuta dispersal among BTPD colonies was high, potentially explaining the rapid spread of Y. pestis in our study area in 2005 and 2006.