NationStates Jolt Archive

I thought I'd remind everyone of the threat of plague carried by squirrels and other rodents in your neighborhood, after being reminded once again of the risk, by this article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2137283520070522?feedType=RSS&rpc=22

DENVER (Reuters) - A Denver Zoo monkey has died of bubonic plague, apparently after eating a squirrel stricken with the disease, Colorado health and zoo officials said on 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.

Zookeepers on May 15 noticed the 8-year-old hooded capuchin monkey was lethargic, and the next day it was found dead in its enclosure. Zoo veterinarians sent tissue samples to a state laboratory where it was determined the animal died of the plague. The death was announced on Monday.

Zoo veterinarian Dave Kenny said that the risk of plague spreading to humans was extremely low but that visitors were being urged to avoid squirrels and rabbits.


If your neighborhood is anything like mine, then it's probably crawling with rabbits and squirrels. Protect the kids, and yourself too, from plague by reporting incidents quickly! The risk is real - even if it's not terribly common, it occurs many times annually.

It can happen to anyone, rich or poor. You may have seen this clip:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SSe67ZGpaOw

...which, while not certainly symptomatic of plague, underscores the fact that those sort of illness can happen to anyone of any social status!

Time to go squirrel hunting! :D

Protect the kids, and yourself too, from plague by reporting incidents quickly!
What, if we accidentally eat a plagued squirrel?

What, if we accidentally eat a plagued squirrel?

Yes, or rabbit. Maybe you don't hunt, but millions do. And of course, plague is a flea-borne disease, meaning you don't need to ingest the animal to contract the illness. Most of us don't run after rabbits and squirrels in the park, but kids do!

Yes, or rabbit. Maybe you don't hunt, but millions do. And of course, plague is a flea-borne disease, meaning you don't need to ingest the animal to contract the illness. Most of us don't run after rabbits and squirrels in the park, but kids do!

Then buy Wilgrove's Child Bubble today! Yes buy a plastic bubble to keep your child inside so that he'd be safe from harm of everyday living! We now have the SUV bubbles for the chubby/fat kids! So come on down to Wilgrove's Bubble World today!

Then buy Wilgrove's Child Bubble today! Yes buy a plastic bubble to keep your child inside so that he'd be safe from harm of everyday living! We now have the SUV bubbles for the chubby/fat kids! So come on down to Wilgrove's Bubble World today!

Remember, I merely reminded everyone to report any incident quickly, not to lock their kids indoors. :p

Remember, I merely reminded everyone to report any incident quickly, not to lock their kids indoors. :p

Hey shut up, I have mortgages to pay. :p

oddly being European during a plague outbreak is now a good thing :) (though I wish we had an excuse to show those nasty Grey squirrels what for!:mad:)

CLANG! Bring our yer Dead!

CLANG! Bring our yer Dead!

CLANG! Bring our yer Dead!

oddly being European during a plague outbreak is now a good thing :) (though I wish we had an excuse to show those nasty Grey squirrels what for!:mad:)

What? Gray Squirrel > Red! The gray never gets enough credit for ridding you of the Red Menace. Bunch of commies over in Old Europe, I tell you. :headbang:

I think this is one of those 'Only in America' type things. I don't think there's been an incidence of bubonic plague in Europe for around 50-100 years.

we don't have Squirrels here so haha to you

we don't have Squirrels here so haha to you

Yeah, but you have rabbits out the wazoo. :p

Imagine if a few squirrels got loose in Australia! *eek*

Yeah, but you have rabbits out the wazoo. :p

Imagine if a few squirrels got loose in Australia! *eek*

No problem; the feral cats would eat them all...:(

No problem; the feral cats would eat them all...:(

and then the Feral cats will have the plague.

and then the Feral cats will have the plague.

Nope. Felines are immune to Yersinia Pestis.

No problem; the feral cats would eat them all...:(

which ones ,the small ones or those big ones that people are now seeing out in the bush

which ones ,the small ones or those big ones that people are now seeing out in the bush

The ones that are eating all of our small, unique and irreplacable marsupials.

The ones that are eating all of our small, unique and irreplacable marsupials.

run away house cats :(
dam i hoping is was big cat we now have

Could be worse, I suppose. Could be a Bionic Plague! :eek:

Imagine cybernetic squirrels tearing across the landscape! Flipping over cars! Braining kids with high-speed acorns!

...

*races to the drawing board*

The ones that are eating all of our small, unique and irreplacable marsupials.

The only reason why my cat has never eaten a small, unique and irreplacable marsupial is because there aren't any here. :)

Could be worse, I suppose. Could be a Bionic Plague! :eek:

Imagine cybernetic squirrels tearing across the landscape! Flipping over cars! Braining kids with high-speed acorns!

...

*races to the drawing board*

watch too much cartoons with the kid again LG

Could be worse, I suppose. Could be a Bionic Plague! :eek:

Imagine cybernetic squirrels tearing across the landscape! Flipping over cars! Braining kids with high-speed acorns!

...

*races to the drawing board*

.....You know......I actually want to see that......

*helps LG in his quest to have Bionic squirrels.*

watch too much cartoons with the kid again LG

'Too much' is just enough. :)

'Too much' is just enough. :)

Hmmm, what about instead of squirrels, we have bionic clowns? Just think of the pies and the fact that almost everyone is afraid of clowns? Clowns would be scarier than squirrels.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/nurgle.gif
May the blessing of Father Nurgle also be bestowed upon you.

People have cats that could come in contact with squirrels or rabbits in the wild- pick it up from them or catch their fleas and bring it right into your home.

The plague was a bitch. It didn't manage to wipe out humans last time, why would it this time? I'm sure there are better agents out there to do the job.

The plague was a bitch. It didn't manage to wipe out humans last time, why would it this time? I'm sure there are better agents out there to do the job.

HIV/AIDs seem to be doing a nice job.

HIV/AIDs seem to be doing a nice job.

Nah. The plague killed most of Europe in a decade, or something like that.

Nah. The plague killed most of Europe in a decade, or something like that.

Yea, but AIDs has no known cures.

Yea, but AIDs has no known cures.

It will eventually. At this rate.

It will eventually. At this rate.

Here's hoping :)

It will eventually. At this rate.

That is true, I certainly hope we find a cure at some point.

Yes, or rabbit. Maybe you don't hunt, but millions do. And of course, plague is a flea-borne disease, meaning you don't need to ingest the animal to contract the illness. Most of us don't run after rabbits and squirrels in the park, but kids do!

I'm deeply impressed if anyone can catch a rabbit or squirrel on foot. Seeing as they run atleast two to three times faster than any human.

I think this is one of those 'Only in America' type things. I don't think there's been an incidence of bubonic plague in Europe for around 50-100 years.

there are 2 or 3 cases every year in new mexico. usually cats but people also. its still a nasty illness with a pretty high death rate. not as bad as hanta virus but still something to be avoided.

thats why we shoot squirrels that hang around the bird feeders.

The plague was a bitch. It didn't manage to wipe out humans last time, why would it this time? I'm sure there are better agents out there to do the job.

Eh, the plague has always been around. Just not occurring in as high instances as during the 1300's. A handful of people contract it every year in fact, it's just not terribly common of a disease.

I'm deeply impressed if anyone can catch a rabbit or squirrel on foot. Seeing as they run atleast two to three times faster than any human.

It happens, especially if you sneak up on a rabbit and jump at it at short range. Some squirrels will approach you if they're used to being fed, as in a park. Also, there's always instances where rabbits and squirrels are killed for any reason, and kids go and poke at the carcass with sticks, or kill them themselves for sport or food. Also, as others have mentioned, cats and other housepets can get the fleas.

Plague is no joke. :(

Plague is no joke. :(

I don't know why that made me laugh :confused:

It happens, especially if you sneak up on a rabbit and jump at it at short range. Some squirrels will approach you if they're used to being fed, as in a park. Also, there's always instances where rabbits and squirrels are killed for any reason, and kids go and poke at the carcass with sticks, or kill them themselves for sport or food. Also, as others have mentioned, cats and other housepets can get the fleas.

Plague is no joke. :(

plus a squirrel or rabbit with the plague might be sick enough that a child could catch it.

plus a squirrel or rabbit with the plague might be sick enough that a child could catch it.

Exactly. Or, a family dog might kill one and bring it home, or disable it and leave it for other kids to find.

Also, sometimes a hawk will kill a rabbit, and kids will hear the abandoned bunnies and try to help them. That happened to me as a kid.

Bubonic plague is nothing compared to other modern super-diseases.

It can be treated easily with antibiotics, whereas with such things as ebola, you're dead.

Only if plague mutates, and becomes resistant to antibiotics (unlikely due to it hardly being contracted, and therefor less likely to come in contact and evolve from antibiotics. )

I have a hawk nesting in a tree on my property now, so squirells are very scarce.

Unfortunately,the ravens that used to be outside everymoring moved on too.

there are 2 or 3 cases every year in new mexico. usually cats but people also. its still a nasty illness with a pretty high death rate. not as bad as hanta virus but still something to be avoided.

thats why we shoot squirrels that hang around the bird feeders.

I got rid of a few of them last fall. Also-any I saw using the power/phone lines as a highway to the roof were eliminated as well.

Bubonic plague is nothing compared to other modern super-diseases.

It can be treated easily with antibiotics, whereas with such things as ebola, you're dead.

Only if plague mutates, and becomes resistant to antibiotics (unlikely due to it hardly being contracted, and therefor less likely to come in contact and evolve from antibiotics. )

no really it cant. it has a very good chance of killing you if you contract it, even if the doctors realize what it is in time.

its not as bad as hanta virus, also a rodent spread disease, which kills more than 50% Of the people who contract it and leaves the survivors debillitated for the rest of their lives. another good reason to stay away from rodents and their droppings.

at least the lil critters aren't running around spreading the Ebola Ziare virus...that would be truely devestating I believe it has a 90%+ Mortality rate and it kills you in something like 2 weeks then to top it all off its very easy to contract from other people..I believe it can even be airborne...all your organs liquifying and what not...oh the wonderful little demons nature has conjured up for us :D..Although there is one strain of Ebola that doesn't harm people...kills monkies really fast though....can't remember its name tho...the book hot zone or something like that is based off of it..true story of a near Ebola outbreak in the USA..scary stuff...

Eh, the plague has always been around. Just not occurring in as high instances as during the 1300's. A handful of people contract it every year in fact, it's just not terribly common of a disease.I read a couple of things this morning that were suggesting the Black Death and Bubonic plague are not the same disease.

The main points were basically: there is no reason for mortality rate of the disease to suddenly drop off in the 13th century; that the black death seemed to spread very fast compared to how pandemics spread in this modern age (300km in 90 days); that the black death seems to have had a longer incubation period; and that the black death exhibited viral characteristics, whereas bubonic plague is caused by bacteria.

Just be glad it isn't septicemic plague. That kills people the same day that symptoms first appear. But then anything septicemic is normally very lethal.

Just thought I'd update the story with this follow-up article.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5952320

It has a phone number and other information, if anyone is in that area.

Then buy Wilgrove's Child Bubble today! Yes buy a plastic bubble to keep your child inside so that he'd be safe from harm of everyday living! We now have the SUV bubbles for the chubby/fat kids! So come on down to Wilgrove's Bubble World today!

What if the bubble rolls down the hill?

no really it cant. it has a very good chance of killing you if you contract it, even if the doctors realize what it is in time.

its not as bad as hanta virus, also a rodent spread disease, which kills more than 50% Of the people who contract it and leaves the survivors debillitated for the rest of their lives. another good reason to stay away from rodents and their droppings.

Bubonic plague has about 1-15% mortality rate depending on how quick you're diagnosed.

Hmmm, what about instead of squirrels, we have bionic clowns? Just think of the pies and the fact that almost everyone is afraid of clowns? Clowns would be scarier than squirrels.

We can rebuild them! We have the technology! :D

Just thought I'd update the story with this follow-up article.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5952320

It has a phone number and other information, if anyone is in that area.

ya know, thumbless, you are seeming kinda panicky about this.

plague is a very serious illness but the likelihood of being exposed to it is very low even in areas where it exists. its not worth getting worried about as long as you take simple precautions like not messing with rodents/squirrels/rabbits, especially the sick ones.

Bubonic plague has about 1-15% mortality rate depending on how quick you're diagnosed.

The article I posted just recently claims 50%, but all accounts agree that speedy diagnosis is essential. Unfortunately, the symptoms are not really unique, so some people hesitate, I'm sure.

ya know, thumbless, you are seeming kinda panicky about this.

plague is a very serious illness but the likelihood of being exposed to it is very low even in areas where it exists. its not worth getting worried about as long as you take simple precautions like not messing with rodents/squirrels/rabbits, especially the sick ones.

Just a friendly reminder, that's all I really intend. I'm not losing sleep over it, but I'll be quick to get tested if I come down with those symptoms. :)

It is a common misconception that rodents cause the plague but dont be fooled by wives tales and old folklore - it is actually caused by the deadly bubon.

If you see a bubon do not attempt to capture it yourself or otherwise go near it. Contact your local officials as it should only be handled by trained professionals.

It is a common misconception that rodents cause the plague but dont be fooled by wives tales and old folklore - it is actually caused by the deadly bubon.

If you see a bubon do not attempt to capture it yourself or otherwise go near it. Contact your local officials as it should only be handled by trained professionals.

Right... :p