Fair Warning

[R. Richard]

This is for real. It's not too well known, but the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains are the world center for bubonic plague. For some, unknown, reason, the CA Chamber of Commerce people don't advertise the fact. If you live in the western US, as I do, you get little items, buried in the back of the newspaper, about a case of bubonic plague. The articles appear maybe every couple of years and then there's no permanent record. Be aware!

Sierra Campground Closed by Bubonic Plague

California State Park officials have temporarily closed the overnight campground at Plumas Eureka State Park near Graeagle after a dead rodent found there tested positive for bubonic plague.

 

[sr71plt]

This is for real. It's not too well known, but the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains are the world center for bubonic plague. For some, unknown, reason, the CA Chamber of Commerce people don't advertise the fact. If you live in the western US, as I do, you get little items, buried in the back of the newspaper, about a case of bubonic plague. The articles appear maybe every couple of years and then there's no permanent record. Be aware!

Sierra Campground Closed by Bubonic Plague

California State Park officials have temporarily closed the overnight campground at Plumas Eureka State Park near Graeagle after a dead rodent found there tested positive for bubonic plague.

When did they move the western slopes of the Rockies to California?

 

[amicus]

There is also a recall of 2.8 million eggs and the distribution area included California where outbreaks of Salmonella are being reported....my local market said milk was also being recalled and that has not been in the news...

ami

 

[fuckwaffle]

what's mild? mild what?

the back slop of the rockies aren't even close to california.

 

[R. Richard]

The Rocky Mountains are, generally speaking, ther continental divide. In general, streams that flow west from the Rockies flow to the Pacific Ocean. (Of course, the Great Basin is a specific exception.) Thus, the westren slopes of the Rockies extend to the Pacific.

For whatever reason, the bubonic plague tends to occur much more in the western slopes. AFAIK, there has never been an in depth study done.

I hope that you will excuse me, but I'm trying to alert people to a potentially deadly health threat. However, I don't have time to write a lengthy essay in the matter.

 

[JeffLeigh]

The Rocky Mountains are, generally speaking, the continental divide. In general, streams that flow west from the Rockies flow to the Pacific Ocean. (Of course, the Great Basin is a specific exception.) Thus, the western slopes of the Rockies extend to the Pacific.

For whatever reason, the bubonic plague tends to occur much more in the western slopes. AFAIK, there has never been an in depth study done.

I hope that you will excuse me, but I'm trying to alert people to a potentially deadly health threat. However, I don't have time to write a lengthy essay in the matter.

No. The western slope specifically refers to the western half of Colorado and other states which are halved by the divide. There is no 'slope' leading down to Cali. Also, there are at least four smaller ranges which impede this 'downward flow'. You should have said the pacific coast and/or Western United States.

I normally wouldn't argue but because I come from CO (Specifically the western slope) I have to say that you had my adrenaline running for a moment when I saw this post. I think that if you are trying to alert people to something like this you should be sure to get your facts right so that we "Western Slopers" aren't misinformed.

Sorry. But thanks for the warning.

 

[sr71plt]

I was born in California and my extended family has a ranch on the true western slopes of the Rockies, so I have a good feel for the distance you have to go and the other mountains you have to climb between the two. California ain't on the western slopes of the Rockies.

 

[driphoney]

This, apparently, isn't anything new, or any kind of secret, unannounced growing threat. I'm surprised the CDC data is so outdated for the public (shame on them), but this type of occurrence isn't new.

Check it out for yourself:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/index.htm

 

[bronzeage]

Bubonic plague bacteria live in the soil. It could be anywhere.

Rats are common carriers because they like to burrow in the ground. In modern society, it is fairly difficult to contract the plague from a rat. Fleas can transmit the disease by blood. This requires a flea to bite an infected rat and then jump to a human.

Once that is accomplished, it is much easier to contract the plague from another human. The bacteria can be transmitted by air from a sneeze or a cough.

The bubonic plague is like a lot of other scary diseases. Ordinary hygiene and sanitation prevent most exposure.

 

[fuckwaffle]

plus it is a bacteria and even after infection can be cured with heavy does of antibiotics.

 

[R. Richard]

Risk: Wild rodents in certain areas around the world are infected with plague. Outbreaks in people still occur in rural communities or in cities. They are usually associated with infected rats and rat fleas that live in the home. In the United States, the last urban plague epidemic occurred in Los Angeles in 1924-25. Since then, human plague in the United States has occurred as mostly scattered cases in rural areas (an average of 10 to 15 persons each year). Globally, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year. In North America, plague is found in certain animals and their fleas from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, and from southwestern Canada to Mexico. Most human cases in the United States occur in two regions: 1) northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado; and 2) California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada. Plague also exists in Africa, Asia, and South America.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm dying to see how you are going to make an erotica story for Lit. out of this--or how you relate this to writing erotica. Do let me know when it posts.

 

[TxRad]

There was a study years ago and I believe it is still running on the prairie dog populations out west and the way bubonic plague seems to wipe out random groups and has for centuries. It's one of the few controls on these rodents.

The study also was researching why some of the populations seemed to be immune to the disease.

Old news, very old news.

 

[cloudy]

There was a study years ago and I believe it is still running on the prairie dog populations out west and the way bubonic plague seems to wipe out random groups and has for centuries. It's one of the few controls on these rodents.

The study also was researching why some of the populations seemed to be immune to the disease.

Old news, very old news.

Yeah, but R.Richard seems to be feening for something, anything at all, to try to sway us to align with the conspiracy theories he often ascribes to.

 

[R. Richard]

I'm dying to see how you are going to make an erotica story for Lit. out of this--or how you relate this to writing erotica. Do let me know when it posts.

Ah, obviously you don't have the very latest news. Only living people write new erotica. People with bubonic plague tend to have a rather high death rate. I'm trying to alert people to a danger that just might cause their death.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I got a phone call back in the eighties, because I friend of mine was hospitalised with Bubonic Plague. We were all freaked out-"we can't go see him, he's gonna die all alone!"

The hospital said; "Of course you can come see him! This is a curable disease."

So we did, and sympathised with his poor swollen lymph nodes... He was in some pain but wasn't under sentence of death like in the olden days, because -- Antibiotics.

 

[buxxxom]

Bubonic plague exists with more than one name. Sylvatic plague and pneumonic plague are also caused by Yersinia pestis. The bacteria is widespread, appearing on every continent except Australia. CDC reports only 5-15 cases in the US per year, and of those about 14% will result in death. That's 2 deaths in the US per year. Effective treatment is available. Sounds like the preventative measures implemented by county and local agencies are doing their job.

 

[sr71plt]

Ah, obviously you don't have the very latest news. Only living people write new erotica. People with bubonic plague tend to have a rather high death rate. I'm trying to alert people to a danger that just might cause their death.

Don't alert too many people. The fewer erotica writers competing with me the better. (And I live on the East Coast.)

(In the meantime, you might make an effort to find out where California is.)

I'm sure this topic would be a really good one for the General Board.

 

[Liar]

I got a phone call back in the eighties, because I friend of mine was hospitalised with Bubonic Plague. We were all freaked out-"we can't go see him, he's gonna die all alone!"

The hospital said; "Of course you can come see him! This is a curable disease."

So we did, and sympathised with his poor swollen lymph nodes... He was in some pain but wasn't under sentence of death like in the olden days, because -- Antibiotics.

Yep. About as deadly as garden variety flu these days. More annoying though, according to a friend of many who caught it last year.

The worst long term effect was för the local chinese reasturant where she'd gotten it. "Come for the dumplings, stay for the Black Death" wasn't really a selling slogan.

 

[driphoney]

Risk: Wild rodents in certain areas around the world are infected with plague. Outbreaks in people still occur in rural communities or in cities. They are usually associated with infected rats and rat fleas that live in the home. In the United States, the last urban plague epidemic occurred in Los Angeles in 1924-25. Since then, human plague in the United States has occurred as mostly scattered cases in rural areas (an average of 10 to 15 persons each year). Globally, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year. In North America, plague is found in certain animals and their fleas from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, and from southwestern Canada to Mexico. Most human cases in the United States occur in two regions: 1) northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado; and 2) California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada. Plague also exists in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Ah, obviously you don't have the very latest news. Only living people write new erotica. People with bubonic plague tend to have a rather high death rate. I'm trying to alert people to a danger that just might cause their death.

Thanks the quoting the CDC link I posted.

Given those odds, I'm better off camping in California than driving my car in almost any country on on the planet. Of course, my risk of snakebite in California is about the same.

If you're really worried, there appears to be a vaccine you can take, but according to my CDC link it's no longer available in the US.

 

[Handley_Page]

Military personnel get anti plague doses before going abroad.

 

[sr71plt]

Military personnel get anti plague doses before going abroad.

Administered in the bare ass? There might be an erotica story in this afterall.

 

[Katyusha]

I hope that you will excuse me, but I'm trying to alert people to a potentially deadly health threat. However, I don't have time to write a lengthy essay in the matter.

This is not that much of a health threat. Bubonic plague is easily treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics these days. It's the same threat now that it was when I heard of a case in an area of NM I was visiting at the time. *shrug* Not really much to worry about.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Administered in the bare ass? There might be an erotica story in this afterall.

Oh god no! It goes in the arm with a tiny little needle. Your first reaction is, "Gee that wasn't bad." Then about an hour later your arm begins to hurt. By the following morning you begin to be afraid that your arm is going to fall off. By nightfall you wish it would! Ghastly vaccine . . . but much better than the plague. You can fairly easily avoid exposure by keeping your hands out of ground squirrel holes and not feeding the little blighters. Most of the people who catch it in California are 'off islanders' who don't know any better.

 

[glynndah]

Oh god no! It goes in the arm with a tiny little needle. Your first reaction is, "Gee that wasn't bad." Then about an hour later your arm begins to hurt. By the following morning you begin to be afraid that your arm is going to fall off. By nightfall you wish it would! Ghastly vaccine . . . but much better than the plague. You can fairly easily avoid exposure by keeping your hands out of ground squirrel holes and not feeding the little blighters. Most of the people who catch it in California are 'off islanders' who don't know any better.

Keeping your fingers out of holes where they don't belong is probably wise advice for any number of situations.