[ClearCase_guy]

Natural reservoirs seem to be prairie dogs and the like. In our SW that is the case. In Asia, the marmots that live on the steppes are a reservoir. Historically, when populations love across the steppes they risk entering a plague reservoir and then carrying the fleas to a new destination. In an urban environment, of course, the brown rat is a common way for the disease to spread to humans, but this is not considered a natural reservoir. It's a temporary vector.

Grasslands and deserts are where plague can live for centuries, biding its time.

[Valpal1]

I think the last case here in Oregon was a guy trying to rescue a rodent (chipmunk or squirrel?) from a feral cat.

I don’t consider plague to be a serious danger anymore because most people change and wash their bedding on a regular basis nowadays and there are plenty of effective flea and rodent control products on the markets.

We can always break out the DDT to stop the flea vector if another pandemic occurs.

[bigheadfred]

Anyone out there remember the rabbit drives here in SE Idaho back in the early 1980’s? The libs were screaming bloody murder. National news. And it WAS bloody murder and yes I HELPED, but the territory covered by those drives was insignificant to area(s) infested. The jack rabbits in a huge amount of territory died off naturally probably through Tularemia. Rabbit plague. In the last 3 years we are seeing their return. And that is 30 YEARS LATER PEOPLE.

What is more significant to me is this last round of flu I am just recovering from. I had every flu symptom described ALL AT ONCE. And it don’t feel like it has quite let go 2 weeks later. The good news is I seem to be getting better. Just in time for the funeral of along time friend (63) that died last Thursday-—of the flu.