Monkeypox Virus Spreads Across Upper Midwest

I knew davy jones, would come to no good, along with pete nesmith.

Another case of media over-sensationalism. 4 people CONFIRMED infected "across the Midwest". 4 people out of how many millions? How's this for a headline, 4 people in Midwest infected with Monkeypox, 49,999,996 Midwesterners not infected.

Now you can get a communical disease by "prairie Doggin"!

Makes me wonder if the blame that the whiteman gave the indians small pox infected blankets as the cause for their deaths is really responsible. Maybe the animals were the carriers.

Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the prairie dogs likely were infected by a giant Gambian rat at a suburban Chicago pet distributor.

If they think it all came from an exotic pet distributor who probably had something else on the place that brought it over and passed it on to captive prairie dogs, and it seems most mammals could get it, why the heck single out wild prairie dogs to avoid? - Where is the mixing of wild prairie dogs with the pet ones that were thought to be the source?

Why is anyone importing giant Gambian rats into this country? Playmates for their civet cats?

a giant Gambian rat at a suburban Chicago pet distributor.

How clever of the pet distributor to import Gambian rats! This is about as stupid as Brazilian scientists importing then accidentally releasing Africa killer bees!

Africa has absolutely NOTHING that we need!

Thanks for the post

The CDC sure has been busy, handling imported diseases, these past few years.

For future reference, from the CDC: Preliminary Report: Multistate Outbreak of Monkeypox in Persons Exposed to Pet Prairie Dogs

Onset of illness among patients began in early May. Patients typically experienced a prodrome consisting of fever, headaches, myalgias, chills, and drenching sweats. Roughly one-third of patients had nonproductive cough. This prodromal phase was followed 1-10 days later by the development of a papular rash that typically progressed through stages of vesiculation, pustulation, umbilication, and crusting. In some patients, early lesions have become ulcerated. Rash distribution and lesions have occurred on head, trunk, and extremities; many of the patients had initial and satellite lesions on palms and soles and extremities. Rashes were generalized in some patients. After onset of the rash, patients have generally manifested rash lesions in different stages.
All patients reported direct or close contact with prairie dogs, most of which were sick. Illness in prairie dogs was frequently reported as beginning with a blepharoconjunctivitis, progressing to presence of nodular lesions in some cases. Some prairie dogs have died from the illness, while others reportedly recovered.

Not that this is what is taking place, but as I read this article I flash back to movies where a false scenario is put out for public consumption while the real cause is combated in the background.

The Prarie Dog line is probably true, but we wouldn't know for sure if it was or wasn't.

Oh, come on!

The monkeypox virus is in the same family of viruses as smallpox, and officials said the smallpox vaccine has been known to protect people from both viruses.

Would it follow that someone exposed to monkeypox then develop a resistance to the smallpox virus?

Officials Warn Public To Avoid Ill Prairie Dogs

Do people really need to be told this?
"Look kids, there's a sickly-looking prairie dog! Why don't you two go play with it for a while while your mama and I go git some Cheetos..."

The monkey pox is known to infest mostly dimocrats who like to devour their own.

No problem... the CDC has come up with a sure cure. Turns out, if you spank the monkey, it goes away...

close the borders /sarcasm

Quote "Another case of media over-sensationalism. 4 people CONFIRMED infected "across the Midwest". 4 people out of how many millions? How's this for a
headline, 4 people in Midwest infected with Monkeypox, 49,999,996 Midwesterners not infected."

You obviously miss the point. This is the first time this disease has made it into the Western Hemisphere. That in itself is worth a headline.

So, I would assume then the moral to this story is 'rodents spread disease' and having them as pets puts you at risk.

Funny. You would think people would have learned that from what happened during the Black Plague, assuming the public schools ever got around to teaching real history.

CDC experts warn the public to avoid any contact with prairie dogs or Gambian giant rats that appear to be ill -- such as those that are missing patches of fur, have a visible rash on the skin, or have a discharge from eyes or nose. And they said to wash your hands if you have any contact with prairie dogs or Gambian rats -- or any other ill animal.

Why, whenever I see a statement from the CDC, do I get the impression I'm reading a Dave Barry column?

About three weeks ago my children and I became mildly ill with intestinal symptoms and fevers. After about three days of that, the children broke out in pox. It looked like old-fashioned chicken pox to me, but as both kids already had that I decided to have it checked out. The dr seemed confused, but he did tell me that this was "going around". He said that there was an entire family in the next room with the same symptoms. He told me that it was too expensive to run tests to see what it was, but that the consensus was that it was rotavirus.

We all recovered fine, but it does make me wonder what the heck was going on.

Thanks for the report Marie. Glad to hear the family is okay. I would think any communicable disease would have to be documented and reported to the CDC. I would think a blood sample would be required. It's rather disconcerting to note that this physician might pass it off as 'too expensive' to follow through with this.

Even though the symptoms were mild, the possibility existed that a modified virus had been introduced to the public by someone with evil motives. I would think this should be documented. Oh well...

Take care.

Young children are said to do worst with monkeypox.

Monkeypox Latest Bioweapon Lookout :

Iraq is one of the rogue states that may have obtained access to monkeypox. "We've never ever gotten to the bottom of their involvement with camelpox, whether they were really trying to weaponize it or it was a façade for working with smallpox or monkeypox," said the former U.N. inspector, who was a member of the team that went into Iraq.

Please don't think I'm saying that we had monkey pox. But the diagnosis of rotavirus doesn't make sense either. We really weren't terribly ill and I know of many others in our community that were much worse than our family. Dehydration was the main problem. But the rash was unusual and inconsistant with the little I know about rotavirus.

Thanks for the information. Good one.

A rash like the ones seen in "pox" diseases (chickenpox, smallpox, monkeypox, etc) does not occur with Rotavirus.

In fact, a quick search of the medical literature on "rash rotavirus" produces only a single case report of rotavirus causing a rash, and it was a maculopapular rash, which is nothing like the "pox" rashes.

Amazingly enough, my wife and I were in a pet store last week, and this store had just got lisenced to sell Prairie dogs. Cute little varmits, plus they dont smell bad like ferrets. We had actually considered getting one for our 11 year old son. Probably wont do that now. Any Freepers with Prairie dog experience?

We had a good-sized colony in our yard in Wyoming when I was a kid. (25-30) I'd put them on par with rabbits. Cute, able to adapt to humans ok... destructive, disease ridden... good food for owls and coyotes. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the little buggars, I just can't see 'em in the house.

The first instance of a strange and exotic disease (west nile virus) is unnerving, the second (SARS) is a coincidence, the third instance (monkeypox)is enemy action. Not to mention Norwalk and anthrax.

Alert Issued as U.S. Monekypox Cases Grow to 33 .

Lets not get ourselves all worked up over this, after all many more people get the flu every year than monkeypox, besides nobody has died of monkeypox. ;]

I know this isn't funny but I love saying the word monkeypox.

I'm adding palehorse as a keyword to all these emerging diseases threads. That way those of us who are interested can use them to search...

They tear thing up and like to bite. - They do not make good pets! - Prairie Dog Rescue has a website and advises people not to keep them as pets. Also once they are with one family it is hard to place them with a new family, also they do not like guests/stangers that come in your home. The males stink when breeding season comes on also. They also tell people when they act up to put them in a tall trash can until they calm down. (that should tell you something right there)

C-D-C counts 33 possible monkeypox cases, expects more.

May I ask, why palehorse?

One more thing, they have great memories and if you punish it for biting, it will remember the person who did it for quite sometime. That is why they tell people to use a trash can for punishing it when it gets radical on you. (I am not joking)

Cute little varmits, plus they dont smell bad like ferrets. We had actually considered getting one for our 11 year old son. Probably wont do that now. Any Freepers with Prairie dog experience?

Prairie dogs carrying monkeypox is new .... P-dogs carrying bubonic plague is old hat. Be careful about getting one of these for a pet.

Of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, in Revelations, the fourth rider rode a pale horse, traditionally linked with pestilence and death.

Wow...I had no idea what they were like...just never knew anyone who had one...squirrels are bad enough, some around here keep them.

Does he ride a pale horse in the Dürer etching?

I don't know. I think I'll go google it.

Link to Dürer.

one last post about these animals as pets

Prairie Dogs as Pets

Marie,

You folks need a new doctor. Your present one sounds quite incompent.

Please don't think I'm saying that we had monkey pox. But the diagnosis of rotavirus doesn't make sense either. We really weren't terribly ill and I know of many others in our community that were much worse than our family. Dehydration was the main problem. But the rash was unusual and inconsistant with the little I know about rotavirus.

I just had a child with a telephone suggested diagnosis case of rotavirus. Rash wasn't part of the deal. In fact nothing was staying in from either end long enough to make a blister from what I noticed...

Our concern was dehydration also. Doc told us after 3ish people generally don't get it, and if they do it is much more mild than what an under 3'r gets to experience.

He's feeling better now though!

Thanks for the link. As I recall, the four colors of the horses were red, white, black, and pale.

Prairie Dogs are part of the Squirrel family. In my opinion they should stay living in the Prairies. They also carry the plague. The vet bills can be high also since they are exotic pets. Most Prairie Dogs you see in pet shops are snatched from their mothers at a very young age (before they are weaned), so that they can be tamed from an early age. Having one is not enough because they are social animals with their own kind and need that type of companionship. When you have 2 then they may become unsocial to humans. It is a losing situation for both the owners and prairie dogs.

THAT is nasty...I couldn't imagine having one of those, never mind being covered. Probably one of thoses diseases that when you're suffering from it you'll wish you were dead.

Where did you get that pic?

from the link in post #30