Indy
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Bubonic Plague Kills Zoo Monkey
It looks as if the bubonic plague has struck the Denver zoo.
| Quote From Source: | A Denver Zoo monkey has died of bubonic plague, apparently after eating a squirrel stricken with the disease, Colorado health and zoo officials said Monday.
Five squirrels and a rabbit found dead on zoo grounds tested positive for the flea-borne disease in recent weeks, Denver Zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie said.
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Source: CNN/Reuters
Source URL: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/0...bonic.plague.reut/index.html
Well this can't be good. I wonder how many animals outside of the zoo have died for the same reason? Does anyone know how common bubonic plague deaths are in the U.S.?
"I think God gives us children so death won't come as such a disappointment." - Two and a Half Men |
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DanG
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| Quote From Source: | A rash of squirrel deaths from plague in the middle of Colorado's largest city has heightened surveillance for the deadly but curable disease.
No humans here have been infected with plague, the "Black Death" disease that killed millions in 14th-century Europe. A state hotline gets 50-75 calls daily about dead rodents. Chris Urbina, Denver's health director, says the risk of catching it "is extremely low."
Plague bacteria are carried by fleas that infect wild rodents, rabbits and cats, usually in rural areas. Plague reached the USA in the 19th century in rats on ships. It exists today only in the West, mainly in four states: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California.
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http://news.aol.com/topnews/...90001?ncid=NWS00010000000001 |
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DanG
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| Quote From Source: | The pneumonic plague infects the lungs, and with that infection comes the possibility of person-to-person transmission through respiratory droplets. The incubation period for pneumonic plague is usually between two and four days, but can be as little as a few hours. The initial symptoms, of headache, weakness, and coughing with hemoptysis, are indistinguishable from other respiratory illnesses. Without diagnosis and treatment, the infection can be fatal in one to six days; mortality in untreated cases may be as high as 95%.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubonic_plague |
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Indy
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Thanks for the info. I had no idea it was still a relatively common thing.
"I think God gives us children so death won't come as such a disappointment." - Two and a Half Men |
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Shy4chey
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We hear about it a lot here. Especially in the 4 corners area. |
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FatalWishes
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Well if we can just get the squirrels and monkeys to see the Dr. when they start feeling ill.....
They should take the warning labels off of everything and let stupidity sort itself out.
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