Posted on 06/07/2003 8:58:25 PM PDT by 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."
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Stay Safe !
LOL, some of your 'listees' have been away for the weekend!! I read this on the Drudge Report, and shake my head in wonder - can things get any wierder in our world, or is it just that we know everything that happens now!!?
I thought that was the case, but I didn't know.
My deepest sympathy. I'm sorry for your loss.
Welcome back. I hope you had a great weekend.
I read this on the Drudge Report, and shake my head in wonder - can things get any wierder in our world, or is it just that we know everything that happens now!!?
I think it's a combination of both. :)
I'd imagine that
it works something like this. First,
you build them a home
a hundred yards back
from your porch. Then, when they look
out to say thank you,
you blow their heads off
with a scoped, target rifle.
Pets with a purpose...
Stay Safe !!
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