Title |
Effects of temperature on the transmission of Yersinia Pestis by the flea, Xenopsylla Cheopis, in the late phase period
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Published in |
Parasites & Vectors, September 2011
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DOI | 10.1186/1756-3305-4-191 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Anna M Schotthoefer, Scott W Bearden, Jennifer L Holmes, Sara M Vetter, John A Montenieri, Shanna K Williams, Christine B Graham, Michael E Woods, Rebecca J Eisen, Kenneth L Gage |
Abstract |
Traditionally, efficient flea-borne transmission of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, was thought to be dependent on a process referred to as blockage in which biofilm-mediated growth of the bacteria physically blocks the flea gut, leading to the regurgitation of contaminated blood into the host. This process was previously shown to be temperature-regulated, with blockage failing at temperatures approaching 30°C; however, the abilities of fleas to transmit infections at different temperatures had not been adequately assessed. We infected colony-reared fleas of Xenopsylla cheopis with a wild type strain of Y. pestis and maintained them at 10, 23, 27, or 30°C. Naïve mice were exposed to groups of infected fleas beginning on day 7 post-infection (p.i.), and every 3-4 days thereafter until day 14 p.i. for fleas held at 10°C, or 28 days p.i. for fleas held at 23-30°C. Transmission was confirmed using Y. pestis-specific antigen or antibody detection assays on mouse tissues. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Australia | 1 | 50% |
United States | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United States | 2 | 4% |
Madagascar | 1 | 2% |
Norway | 1 | 2% |
Unknown | 50 | 93% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Researcher | 11 | 20% |
Student > Bachelor | 9 | 17% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 8 | 15% |
Student > Master | 5 | 9% |
Professor | 4 | 7% |
Other | 7 | 13% |
Unknown | 10 | 19% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 17 | 31% |
Environmental Science | 5 | 9% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 5 | 9% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 4 | 7% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 | 6% |
Other | 7 | 13% |
Unknown | 13 | 24% |