Laboratory analysis of tularemia in wild-trapped, commercially traded prairie dogs, Texas, 2002

Oropharyngeal tularemia was identified as the cause of a die-off in captured wild prairie dogs at a commercial exotic animal facility in Texas. From this point source, Francisella tularensis-infected prairie dogs were traced to animals distributed to the Czech Republic and to a Texas pet shop. F. tu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging infectious diseases 2004-03, Vol.10 (3), p.419-425
Main Authors: Petersen, Jeannine M, Schriefer, Martin E, Carter, Leon G, Zhou, Yan, Sealy, Tara, Bawiec, Darcy, Yockey, Brook, Urich, Sandra, Zeidner, Nordin S, Avashia, Swati, Kool, Jacob L, Buck, Jan, Lindley, Connie, Celeda, Leos, Monteneiri, John A, Gage, Kenneth L, Chu, May C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies, Bacterial - isolation & purification
Cynomys ludovicianus
Disease Outbreaks - veterinary
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct
Francisella tularensis
Francisella tularensis - classification
Francisella tularensis - immunology
Francisella tularensis - isolation & purification
Humans
oropharyngeal
outbreak
prairie dogs
Sciuridae
Texas - epidemiology
tularemia
Tularemia - epidemiology
Tularemia - physiopathology
Tularemia - veterinary
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Summary:Oropharyngeal tularemia was identified as the cause of a die-off in captured wild prairie dogs at a commercial exotic animal facility in Texas. From this point source, Francisella tularensis-infected prairie dogs were traced to animals distributed to the Czech Republic and to a Texas pet shop. F. tularensis culture isolates were recovered tissue specimens from 63 prairie dogs, including one each from the secondary distribution sites. Molecular and biochemical subtyping indicated that all isolates were F. tularensis subsp. holarctica (Type B). Microagglutination assays detected antibodies against F. tularensis, with titers as great as 1:4,096 in some live animals. All seropositive animals remained culture positive, suggesting that prairie dogs may act as chronic carriers of F. tularensis. These findings demonstrate the need for additional studies of tularemia in prairie dogs, given the seriousness of the resulting disease, the fact that prairie dogs are sold commercially as pets, and the risk for pet-to-human transmission.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid1003.030504