It's the end of the world as we know it....

[Raven Wolf]

Updated:2007-05-11 12:53:52

'Black Death' Found in Denver Squirrels

By Patrick O'Driscoll, USA TODAY

USA Today

(May 11) - 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."

One human case has been reported in the USA this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 49-year-old man in San Juan County, N.M., was hospitalized last week and is recovering. A flu-like illness that occurs most often in lymph nodes or the blood, plague is treatable with antibiotics.

Denver's last outbreak in rodents was nearly 40 years ago. So far, 13 squirrels have been found dead in or near City Park, an urban playground 2 miles from the state Capitol. Two infected squirrels and an infected rabbit were found dead in Denver suburbs.

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.

Infected fleas can jump onto animals or humans. Coyotes, foxes and birds that feed on an infected carcass can transport the fleas but are resistant to plague.

John Pape, an epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, suspects that is how it got into town. He says the Denver occurrence is not an "outbreak" but warrants tracking. City workers this week caught 17 squirrels for testing.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reports 10-20 people a year catch plague in the USA. On average, one in seven dies.

"We're always on watch," says Deborah Busemeyer of the New Mexico Department of Health. The state had an above-normal year in 2006: Eight cases and three deaths. Pape says plague is more common in New Mexico than Colorado, where the last death was in 2004, one of three infections that year.

Plague season runs from April to November during periods of moisture and moderate temperature.

Among pets, dogs are resistant but cats are highly susceptible.

"Right now is a good time to keep cats inside," says Diane Milholin, a Denver health inspector. "Your dog is not going to get sick from a flea, but if the flea stays on the dog and decides to bite you, you could get sick."

Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2007-05-11 09:20:20

Let's all sing along with the band R.E.M.!

"It's the End of the World As We Know It"

That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane,

Lenny Bruce is not afraid

Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn - world

Serves its own needs, dont misserve your own needs. Feed

It off an aux speak, grunt, no, strength,turn, ladder

Start to clatter with fear fight down height. Wire

In a fire, representing seven games, in a government

For hire and a combat site. Left of west and coming in

A hurry with the furies breathing down your neck. Team

By team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered cropped

Look at that low playing! Fine, then. Uh oh,

Overflow, population, common food, but it'll do. Save

Yourself, serve yourself. World serves its own needs,

Listen to your heart bleed dummy with the rapture and

The revered and the right, right. You vitriolic,

Patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty

Psyched

It's the end of the world as we know it

It's the end of the world as we know it

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine

Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign

Towers. Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself

Churn. Locking in, uniforming,and book burning, blood

Letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate

Light a candle, light a motive. Step down, step down

Watch your heel crush, crushed, uh-oh, this means no

Fear cavalier. Renegade steer clear! A tournament,

a Tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions,

Offer me alternatives and I decline

(chorus)

It's the end of the world as we know it (it's time I had some time alone)

It's the end of the world as we know it (it's time I had some time alone)

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (it's time I had some

time alone)

I feel fine

(repeat chorus)

The other night I dreamt of knives, continental

Drift divide. Mountains sit in a line, Leonard

Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester

Bangs. Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You

Symbiotic, patriotic, slam book neck, right? Right

(repeat chorus)

It's the end of the world as we know it

It's the end of the world as we know it

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (it's time I had some

time alone)

(repeat chorus 2x)

Fine

It's the end of the world as we know it (it's time I had some time alone)

[Guest Laurent.]

I personally don't think that TEOTWAWKI will be brought on by a disease or virus of any kind. It seems there would always be a way to control an outbreak, while it would be a lot harder to control countries engaged in a nuclear war...

Anyway, I was surprised to learn that the "Black Death" was still in the open. But that means that since the 14th century, it has constantly been infecting animals.. Who knows how many humans may have died from it without anyone noticing?

Edited May 11, 2007 by Laurent.

[Walkabout]

actually there are sporatic outbreaks in the southwest USA of the Plague and have been have been for decades. Its just that the outbreaks are usually small enough not to bring national attention. Where ever there are rodents with fleas there will be plague. Its been a long time since we had a major Hunta [?] outbreak found in mouse droppings so beware!!

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

I personally don't think that TEOTWAWKI will be brought on by a disease or virus of any kind. It seems there would always be a way to control an outbreak, while it would be a lot harder to control countries engaged in a nuclear war...

Anyway, I was surprised to learn that the "Black Death" was still in the open. But that means that since the 14th century, it has constantly been infecting animals.. Who knows how many humans may have died from it without anyone noticing?

You have a good point. There are a lot of places where there isn't an autopsy after death or even a legitimate medical care facility to determine someone's sickness. The more time I spend watching the discovery channel, reading articles and so forth, the more I'm amazed that we are even still around. There are so many things that can wipe out mankind, or at least the majority of the population, that it really just seems like a matter of time. I saw a program not to long ago that suggested that there have been "super volcano's" that have wiped out huge portions of the population in the past. I shudder to think of such an event in modern days. Then, of course, a meteor or comet could wipe out all life on the planet with little notice. In addition to these natural events, you have the greatest threat to mankind...... itself. With all the chemical and nuclear weapons out there, especially the ones from the old Soviet Union that are unaccounted for, and the additional countries with nuclear capabilities (many of which scare me), I find it hard to believe that there won't be some kind of accident or incident some time in the future. Then of course, the more we move in on areas that have never been inhabited by man, the more risk there is that we could unearth some new plague that the world has never experienced. Who knows, with everything being antibacterial these days, and bacteria constantly becoming resistant, maybe bacteria will inherit the Earth. Then, of course, there is my ultimate fear, a large scale invasion by flying humanoids.

[Raven Wolf]

...There are about 5 & 1/2 years remaining....

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

...There are about 5 & 1/2 years remaining....

Hmmm, is that based on the Mayan calendar?

[HighPlainsDrifter]

no..........Seven and One

[Raven Wolf]

Hmmm, is that based on the Mayan calendar?

Yep.

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

Yep.

The way mankind is going, we'll be lucky to get another 5 1/2 years.

[Raven Wolf]

I have to agree with you there...