Research overview: Yersinia pestis plague exposure in mountain lions

Sylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, circulates among rodents in the American West, and mountain lions become exposed by preying on infected rodents and lagomorphs. This overview synthesizes evidence for plague in cougars, including seroprevalence surveys, documented clinical cases and occasional deaths, and the question of how often plague contributes to puma mortality. It examines transmission via flea bites and ingestion of infected prey, the susceptibility of felids relative to other carnivores, and the role of pumas as sentinels for plague activity in the landscape. The synthesis connects rodent disease cycles to apex predator health. It aims to give readers an understanding of how a notorious bacterial disease of small mammals reaches large wild cats and what their exposure reveals about regional plague dynamics.