The reservoir for plague is wild rodents. Prairie dogs are the main carriers of plague in our area. The flea is the vector that transmits the disease to other animals including humans.
Although I appreciate Joe Lewandowski’s attempt to take prairie dogs off the hook by blaming the fleas, his epidemiology is inaccurate (Letters, Herald, Sept. 24). More than 23 million people died from the “Black Death” in Europe because they did not understand that rats carried the disease spread by fleas.
It is important to keep pets away from prairie dog colonies and to use flea protection.
Karlene Stange, DVM
Durango
