[muawiyah]

No, we don't. Plague is "out there" ~ always has been. So has hanta virus. Currently it's believed that one or more strains of hanta virus were busy destroying North and South American Indians when Europeans arrived in the early 1500s.

The death rate was about 95%, and higher in some areas.

Plague has a lower death rate which varies by ethnic group. Southern Europeans saw the majority of people die, and Northern Europeans saw less than a majority die. Those who lived in the far North had very low death rates, or none at all.

If I were using bioweapons I'd look into hanta virus, not black plague.

The AlQaida guys are simply encountering it out in the desolate drylands where rats are the dominant animals.

[Evil Slayer]

I remember when I was in transient to be shipped to Ft. Rich in Alaska (Army ‘67) they gave us all shots for the plague. Don't remember what type though. I bet all our guys in the service have had the shot if shipped overseas. I don't recall how long the shot last though.

[Salgak]

muawiyah wrote:

f I were using bioweapons I'd look into hanta virus, not black plague.
The AlQaida guys are simply encountering it out in the desolate drylands where rats are the dominant animals. So we can expect Black Plague on Capitol Hill any day now ??? (evil grin)

[wolfcreek]

http://www.answers.com/topic/bubonic-plague

Apparently not hard to weaponize.