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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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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, 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, Yashin AC, Noble LE, Vasquez MC, Huang MHJ, Livieri TM, Dobesh P, Childers E, Biggins DE. Managing plague on prairie dog colonies: insecticides as ectoparasiticides. J Vector Ecol 2020; 45:82-88. [PMID: 32492281 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Human health practitioners and wildlife biologists use insecticides to manage plague by suppressing fleas (Siphonaptera), but insecticides can also kill other ectoparasites. We investigated effects of deltamethrin and fipronil on ectoparasites from black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus, BTPDs). In late July, 2018, we treated three sites with 0.05% deltamethrin dust and 5 sites with host-fed 0.005% fipronil grain. Three non-treated sites functioned as experimental baselines. We collected ectoparasites before treatments (June-July, 2018) and after treatments (August-October, 2018, June-July, 2019). Both deltamethrin and fipronil suppressed fleas for at least 12 months. Deltamethrin had no detectable effect on mites (Arachnida). Fipronil suppressed mites for at least 12 months. Lice (Phthiraptera) were scarce on non-treated sites throughout the study, complicating interpretation. Concentrating on eight sites where all three ectoparasites where found in June-July, 2018 (before treatments), flea intensity was greatest on BTPDs carrying many lice and mites. These three ectoparasites co-occurred at high numbers, which might facilitate plague transmission in some cases. Lethal effects of insecticides on ectoparasite communities are potentially advantageous in the context of plague management.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Alexis C Yashin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Lauren E Noble
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Michele C Vasquez
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | - Miranda H J Huang
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
| | | | - Phillip Dobesh
- U.S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, Wall, SD, 57790, U.S.A
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Interior, SD, 57750, U.S.A
| | - Dean E Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, U.S.A
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Eads DA, Biggins DE, Bowser J, Broerman K, Livieri TM, Childers E, Dobesh P, Griebel RL. Evaluation of Five Pulicides to Suppress Fleas on Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs: Encouraging Long-Term Results with Systemic 0.005% Fipronil. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:400-406. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Eads
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Dean E. Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Jonathan Bowser
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Kristina Broerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | | | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Interior, South Dakota
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which encompasses both deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a significant healthcare problem, leading to considerable morbidity, mortality and resource utilisation. AIMS This review discusses the adherence to VTE guideline recommendations and the available clinical evidence on the appropriate type, dose and duration of VTE prophylaxis. METHODS A literature survey was conducted using Pub Med and EMBASE to identify publications related to appropriate thromboprophylaxis in medically ill patients at risk of VTE. RESULTS Despite evidence from clinical trials and national guidelines, VTE prophylaxis in medically ill patients remains underutilised. The use of unfractionated heparin three-times-daily, low-molecular-weight heparin once-daily and fondaparinux once-daily has demonstrated effectiveness in clinical trials of medically ill patients. However, controversy exists about the use of unfractionated heparin twice-daily, and fondaparinux has not yet received US Food and Drug Administration approval for VTE prophylaxis in medically ill patients. CONCLUSION It is important for clinicians to have an understanding of the evidence-based literature when selecting an appropriate drug, at the appropriate dose, for the appropriate duration for VTE prophylaxis in medically ill patients. VTE prophylaxis in medically ill patients is cost-effective, and drugs that are expensive may still be cost-effective when considering improved efficacy and/or safety. Recently, the underutilisation of VTE prophylaxis has led to the involvement of government and other regulatory agencies in an attempt to increase appropriate VTE prophylaxis in US hospitals and improve the clinical and economic outcomes in medical patients at risk of VTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Dobesh
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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