The National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) confirmed plague as the cause of a prairie dog die-off in the Badlands National Park, Buffalo Gap National Grassland and the greater Conata-Badlands ecosystem in South Dakota.
The risk to humans is low, but the disease threatens black-footed ferrets, an endangered species.
“We are concerned about the impacts to the black-footed ferret population and are taking necessary action to protect this important keystone species,” said Eric Veach, superintendent of Badlands National Park. “Extensive conservation efforts in 2009 to manage the spread of plague were able to preserve a black-footed ferret population in the Conata-Badlands ecosystem, where the largest free-ranging black-footed ferret population in the world now resides.”
The NPS and USFS are applying emergency flea control agents and monitoring for plague activity. Preventative measures include avoiding contact with rodents, using insect repellent and keeping pets leashed and treated for fleas and ticks.
