RESEARCH ARTICLE Distribution and prevalence of vector-borne diseases in California chipmunks (Tamias spp.) Mary H. Straub1, Austin N. Roy1, Amanda Martin2¤a, Kathleen E. Sholty3¤b, Nicole Stephenson1¤c, Janet E. Foley1* 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America, 2 Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America, 3 Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rancho Cordova, California, United States of America a1111111111 ¤a Current address: The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America a1111111111 ¤b Current address: Swaim Biological, Livermore, California, United States of America a1111111111 ¤c Current address: Metabiota, San Francisco, California, United States of America a1111111111 *
[email protected] a1111111111 Abstract California, with 13 chipmunk (Tamias) species, has more than any other state or country, OPEN ACCESS occupying habitats ranging from chaparral to the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Chip- Citation: Straub MH, Roy AN, Martin A, Sholty KE, munks host zoonotic pathogens including Yersinia pestis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Stephenson N, Foley JE (2017) Distribution and relapsing fever (RF) Borrelia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, and spotted fever group (SFG) Rick- prevalence of vector-borne diseases in California ettsia species. Chipmunk species are often not differentiated by public health workers, yet chipmunks (Tamias spp.). PLoS ONE 12(12): e0189352. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. different species utilize different ecological niches and may have intrinsically different capac- pone.0189352 ities for maintaining vector-borne pathogens and infecting vectors. We surveyed over 700 Editor: Utpal Pal, University of Maryland, College individuals from nine species of chipmunks throughout California for exposure to and infec- Park, UNITED STATES tion by Y.