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Interpopulation Differences of Fleas (Siphonaptera) in the Transmission of Plague Pathogen

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Abstract

Interactions of the plague pathogen with fleas from various natural populations were studied. Large-scale experimental studies carried out mainly in the Siberian natural plague foci demonstrated a significant effect of the population factor on proventricular blocking, the intensity of formation of bacterial clumps in the flea intestine, and the efficiency of pathogen transmission to intact mammals. The results suggest that the ecological plasticity of the plague pathogen is not solely determined by its close contacts with specific flea populations in the past, even though this factor significantly affects the interaction between the pathogen and fleas.

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  1. Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute, 664047, Irkutsk, Russia

    L. P. Bazanova & D. B. Verzhutsky

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Bazanova, L.P., Verzhutsky, D.B. Interpopulation Differences of Fleas (Siphonaptera) in the Transmission of Plague Pathogen. Entmol. Rev. 102, 207–221 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873822020051

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