re: Absolute state: A squirrel from Colorado has tested positive for the bubonic plague

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This isn't uncommon,prairie dogs in and around Denver had it last summer.

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Correct. The plague is not uncommon in prairie dog populations in areas of CO, KS, TX and NM. When the plague hits prairie dogs, there's a 90% die off and it takes about 10 years for the prairie dog population to recover. I was told by a National Grasslands Biologist 3-4 years ago that a vaccine for the plague was expected, but the biologists were uncertain what to do w/ it; they feared vaccinating the prairie dogs would result in unexpected consequences that could be worse on animal wildlife than the plague.

So, would it then spread by flea bites?