The plague is blamed for a prairie dog die off in Badlands National Park. The news is worrisome because in 2009, plague killed another animal in the park—more than 80% of black-footed ferrets, which are one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
“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.”
Emergency flea control agents are now being applied to try to stop the spread of plague and to protect black-footed ferrets, which are also captured and vaccinated against plague.
The National Park Service says the risk to humans remains low, and no human plague case has ever been reported in South Dakota. Plague can be treated by antibiotics but it can be fatal if not treated quickly. Plague occurs in rodents and their fleas. The bacterial disease was introduced to the U.S. from rats aboard ships in the 1900s and is now considered endemic throughout the western U.S.
