Bubonic plague outbreak in Colorado

I always heard that prarie dogs carried the plague and you should never touch them after they are shot. I guess RSOE has finally confirmed what I've been hearing.plague outbreak

Cheers!

If there isn't enough going on in the world to be worried about....
now it's the Bubonic Plague!
What next?


S&F for bringing this to our attention.

Every now and then there is a small outbreak of bubonic plague. I doubt it will become a global pandemic but this does happen. It is scary but hopefully the government will make sure they do what they need to stop it spreading from human to human.

reply to post by agentblue


Good work bringing this to our attention. It seams as though no humans have contracted it yet but I can't be sure because theirs not enouh info. This definitely warrants watching

Does this travel by air? If so, how long can it live and travel by air? Also, if people are infected, how are they going to make sure this does not effect others?

If your around that area please spread the news and keep your family away from those dogs. It likely won't amount to much but better safe than sorry.

reply to post by agentblue

plague outbreak

The Tri-County Health Department confirms Bubonic plague is responsible for decimating prairie dog colonies along Big Dry Creek. The open space is roughly from 112th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, to 120th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Health officials have dusted the prairie dog holes to reduce the spread of the disease. The pesticide is used to kill the fleas that transmit the plague. Signs have been posted along the Big Dry Creek Trail, warning people and their pets in the area to stay on the trail.

So What is the Likelihood that it could jump species. I wouldn't think people have to worry too much about infection until it starts running rampant in our canine/feline companions... Then I think it would be close enough. Then again, I don't work for the CDC.

reply to post by cloaked4u


They would likely Quarantine the people when/if they got sick.

I'm not sure if it can be air born but some reading on Wiki suggest not.

Wiki Here

Another good read for those interested on how it's spread

reply to post by michaelwpayton


its bacterial, not specific to any particular animal.

i read somewhere that its always present in the dirt pretty much everywhere though, so it may be that more infectious strains spring up from time to time.

reply to post by dreamseeker


Yes you are right, it was not long time ago (few years) that another outbreak broke somewhere else in New Mexico I believe it was posted in ATS. The one in New Mexico infected two humans.

from what i have always understood, there are always rats in the U.S. deserts that carry the bubonic plague and typhus.

here is a link that states the commonality of bubonic plague in the US and worldwide: "In the United States, human plague cases average about 10 to 15per year. Worldwide, there are 1,000 to 2,000 cases each year."

www.dhpe.org...

it also states where the plague is most commonly found and the most common methods of human infection: "Plague is found in some semi-arid areas in Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. In the United States, most cases in humans occur in two regions: 1) northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado, and 2) California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.

In the southwestern United States, rock squirrel fleas are the most common source of infection in people. In the Pacific states, California ground squirrel fleas are the most common source. Many other types of rodents -- including other ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, wood rats, wild mice, and voles -- suffer plague outbreaks and are occasional sources of human infection. Domesticates can be infected by fleas or by eating infected wild rodents and can be a direct source of infection to people. Dogs rarely suffer severe illness and have yet to be shown to be sources of infection for humans."


gnarly stuff, man.

Originally posted by snarfbot
reply to post by michaelwpayton

 

its bacterial, not specific to any particular animal

Sometimes I throw common sense out the window. Thank you for the reality check. Woot for more bubonic plague...

From Wiki:

Bubonic plague — along with the septicemic plague and the pneumonic plague, which are the two other manifestations of Y. pestis — is generally believed to be the cause of the Black Death that swept through Europe in the 14th century and killed an estimated 75 million people, or 30-60% of the European population.[2] Because the plague killed so many of the working population, wages rose and some historians have seen this as a turning point in European economic development.

Perhaps this is the answer to our economic woes?

reply to post by michaelwpayton


WOW That is a heckuva stimulus package!!!!! I wouldn't wanna die from that nor would I care about the economy enough to sacrifice myself so someone else's dollar will buy more stuff

reply to post by agentblue


I appreciated the stimulus packages about as much as I would appreciate catching the plague... and it could be argued that the stimulus packages have contributed to the slow death of the economy so... differences?

EDIT: If Google Flue Trends were re-written to track plague outbreak... could it tell the difference between human and prairie dog outbreaks?

I wonder if a change in the
weather such as a hard
freeze would help contain it.
Could it kill the bacteria
in the dirt?

It is easily cured, mortality depends on getting treatment within the first 24 hours of first symptoms.

Thankfully medical science has progressed a lot since the 14th century.......it's bird flu you should be worried about, looks like that is starting to do its rounds again.

"Oh my God! We're all going to die! The Black Death is back!"

At least there are a couple of level headed people here at ATS who don't swallow all the fear mongering. The Bubonic plague bacterium is all over Colorado and quite a few other western states. It is cured by penicillin. The reason why it was so deadly back in the day was because they had no antibiotics. No big deal.

It is not as dire as in the past. I think a couple shots of streptomycin will bring it under control.
And stay away from rodents.

reply to post by dreamseeker


in the public parks like "garden of the gods", there are small signs every couple hundred feet warning you and your pets to stay on the path for fear of the plague !!!

Originally posted by BadBoYeed
reply to post by dreamseeker

 

in the public parks like "garden of the gods", there are small signs every couple hundred feet warning you and your pets to stay on the path for fear of the plague !!!

but in all fairness, the plague is treatable with antibiotics. it isn't like it was in the past. i am probably more scared of the signs in Florida state parks every couple of feet that warn of alligators eating your children.

p.s. - i love The Dead. after seeing your avatar i am all in a sugar magnolia mood now.