Mysterious illness caused by pet prairie dogs is possibly monkeypox

The Associated Press ^ | 06/07/03 | The Associated Press

[Orange1998]

By The Associated Press

(6/07/03 - MADISON, WI) — A virus related to smallpox that has never been detected in the Western Hemisphere may be the cause of a mysterious disease spreading from pet prairie dogs to people across the upper Midwest, health officials said Saturday.

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Arsenal of weapons found in girl's bedroom; four teens arrested Watch for construction closures on Houston roads this weekend Fire erupts at plant on Ship Channel Driver flees scene after fiery accident kills his passenger Argument in strip center parking lot turns into deadly shooting Three-alarm strip center fire destroys nail salon Jury to decide fate of officers after immigrant died in their custody Family narrowly avoids tragedy while returning from water park Handcuffed suspect escapes from back seat of patrol car More recent stories Dr. James Hughes, director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a group of prairie dogs sold from a suburban Chicago pet distributor appears to be infected with the monkeypox virus, a member of the same viral family that causes smallpox but is not nearly as deadly.

Monkeypox has typically been found in West African rain forests, Hughes said. The death rate among infected humans has ranged from 1 percent to 10 percent.

Hughes said although monkeypox is spread primarily through rodents in Africa, scientists haven't ruled out person-to-person transmission.

"We're in the very early stages of classifying this virus," Hughes said. "We're not certain."

[TexasCowboy]

Every mulie I shot with my .22 was fifty yards or less.
It makes a lot of difference when you're in country that's never hunted and where the deer are thicker than jackrabbits.
Most of them were head shots, but I did drop a big buck one day with a heart shot when his head was hidden by a branch.

On one ranch close to Hovey, west of Ft. Stockton, I killed thirteen mule deer in a seven day period.
The rancher had Charolais and Santa Gertrudis cattle, and he wouldn't let anyone hunt but me.
I sat on a bluff behind the rig and killed them with a 30.06.
When I field dressed that last deer I told the hands that I had had it. They were going to have to divide it up because that's all there was going to be.

[Free Trapper]

Even if the international trade in animals were to be completely outlawed,it wouldn't work.

There's already so much money to be made with critters on the black market that prices would just increase and turn more people to the illicit trade.

Like anything else,some folk are willing to do anything and risk everyone just to make a dollar. :o(

[humblegunner]

That sounds a lot like deer hunting in Rock Springs and Ozona...
I had the dubious privelege of living in a converted sheep-shed
for a week as well... I wanna go back!

[Orange1998]

Another currency site has our state quarters that are only in circulation since 1999 listed at $3.25 per quarter. Wow! I will start looking right away. Chances are they are hard to find.

[Orange1998]

That would not be Humble Tx would it?

[visualops]

My backyard looked like the third world when I moved in current residence. But that's what happens when folks think a back yard is really a truck parking lot-slash-burned refuse lot. :^)

[humblegunner]

That would not be Humble Tx would it?

Nope, just a bit south in Houston.
My youngest son was born in Humble, though.... ;-)

[Free Trapper]

I've found that for me there can never be too many trucks,boats or guns,as long as they're in working order.

Not necessarily in that order but with a wife and four kids that are constantly in the woods or on the water,I like backups for everything. ;O)

[aristeides]

Pox-Like Outbreak Reported : 19 Ill in Midwest; CDC Issues Alert .

[aristeides]

Monkeypox Sparks Panic.

[Free Trapper]

I did forget to mention that the kids have to keep everything clean,in good working order and parked neatly.HeHe! :O)

[Calpernia]

This is a great site to use for information on the State Quarters. I'm not done with my Currency Site yet. But Coins4Me has a nice one. He sells at eBay too.

Read up on them here: http://www.coins4me.com/statehood_quarters/default.htm

Watch for the quarters in your change. Only 44 states are in circulation now. Once all 50 are printed, they will no longer be produced.

[aristeides]

Newsmax article from a year ago: Monkeypox Latest Bioweapon Lookout . Note that it says that Iraq may have gained access to monkeypox, which the Russians have worked on as a bioweapon.

[Orange1998]

I just visted the site. Thanks for the link.

p.s. If we head into inflation Gold, Stamps and Coins should do well.

[Free Trapper]

I knew I'd read it somewhere on FR but my computer skills are terrible.Glad you found it.

I've been thinking that with Mad Cow Disease in Canada,SARS wherever and now this Monkeypox virus loose,a lot of the animal rights nuts will think this is wonderful.

PETA,ALF,etc. have said enough times that they would welcome diseases in animals that would keep people from getting any use from them,no matter what the diseases did to the critters.

Those folk are really twisted and nothing they did would shock me.

[aristeides]

Steve Hatfill admitted a year ago that he has done research on monkeypox. I'm certainly not suggesting he's connected with this outbreak -- given the extent of FBI surveillance of him, I don't see how he could be. But this piece of information shows that the U.S. considers monkeypox a feasible bioweapon, and other countries presumably do so as well.

[Free Trapper]

I could have missed it but I don't remember reading in your links about Iraq also playing around with "Camelpox".

Whenever I read about Iraq messing with monkeypox,camelpox was mentioned,also.

[aristeides]

The evidence that Iraq was researching camelpox is quite solid.

[Free Trapper]

OK,thanks.I'm on and off some potent painkillers and my mind isn't tracking as well as I'd like,sometimes.

With West Nile added to all the other exotic diseases showing up lately,I can't decide if the concerns I've had for years about the wildlife trade,legal and illegal,are catching up to us or if there's not just too much hitting us all at once to be too coincidental for all the diseases to be accidental.

[visualops]

lol!

You and the wife don't get drunk and go outside naked and yell at each other, do you?

I hope not, cuz then I might think you're the previous tenants... hehe