Pox-Like Outbreak Reported

Washinton Post ^ | 6/8/03 | Rob Stein

[Pro-Bush]

At least 19 people in three Midwestern states have contracted a disease related to smallpox, marking the first outbreak of the life-threatening illness in the United States, federal heath officials said yesterday.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concerned that the illness could spread, issued a nationwide alert to doctors and public health officials to be on the lookout for more cases.

"We have an outbreak," said James Hughes, director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases in Atlanta. "I'd like to keep it relatively small. I don't want any more cases. We're doing everything we can to try to contain this."

[honeygrl]

"Meercat - these little dudes are a lot more fun to watch than a Prairie Dog!
They are soooo cool and smart!"

Oh I want one of those too! And a little monkey to sit on my shoulder, and a replacement cat for the one I'm about to pawn onto someone else (he is EVIL, i tell you, PURE EVIL!) This kitten has turned him against all pets other than fish. The straw that broke the hubby's back was when the kitten jumped onto my 2 1/2 yr old sons's head today and latched on. I wish I had seen it and gotten pictures. Little brat usually deserves what he gets with the cat. Hubby doesn't agree.

[Pro-Bush]

I did read it, that is why I am confused. I didn't know whether to be offended or not by what is said on the shirt?

[stlnative]

I am just trying to point out that prairie dogs are not really the cause of the problem. Prairie Dogs are not known to spread viruses. When I read the story I knew the problem really was not the Prairie Dogs, but something else that had infected them. The person dealing and selling exotic pets is at fault here. People should not be buying exotic animals that come from other countries nor should people make pets out of wild animals that come from America. If people refused to buy these exotic animals then there would not be a market for them. It is sad...

Thanks for your post, I do believe they will have this under control very fast as long as they can locate when and where the G-Rat hit american soil and where it has been since then.

[honeygrl]

"Well this virus spreads human to human via airborn spores. I hope all states ban the sale of these prairie dogs...No matter how cute they are! "

Actually, it should be a ban o the gambian rat that started it. The prairie dogs were the ones that brought it here, they just had a moron who didn't keep his animals seperated correctly apparently. The gambian rat and any animals who could've gotten contact from it or the animals around it need to be euthanized but banning prairie dog sales once they fix it wouldn't seem to be necessary.

[FairOpinion]

Speaking of West Nile Virus, it's BACK!!!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/925177/posts

[af_vet_rr]

My big question in all of this, is what they hell are people doing making pets out of prairie dogs...dunno, maybe it's my having lived in west Texas for a while and seeing some good-size praire dog towns, but praire dogs just shouldn't be pets. It just doesn't seem right for some reason.

[Pro-Bush]

It is not the prairie dog's fault, I agree. Just hope it doesn't spread into the wild population. It could be the next Haunta Virus...still linguring here in the West, spread by the Deer ticks. Remember this can hop for Prairie Dog to human. I share your optimism though.

[Pro-Bush]

Speaking of West Nile Virus, it's BACK!!!

great...I was expecting it! But only a .10th of the media play that SARS gets.

[stlnative]

I agree - these days people will make pets out of anything - Prairie Dogs are easy to live trap. I guess if you catch a mating pair you can domesticate the babies (pups). Chances are Prairie Dogs are probably illegal to own it all states, but the wording probably does not specify Prairie Dogs, it probably says wild animals that are not meant to be commmon household or farm pets. It all depends on what farm type animals you can have depending on the zoning area you live in.

[FairOpinion]

And there is a new one:
St. Louis Encephalitis, first on in US since 1972.

I posted that under the West Nile thread too.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/925177/posts

There are just too many of these viruses around.

[Pro-Bush]

Hmm. Not good.

[stlnative]

I live in Southern Illinois about 80 miles south of St. Louis ( I grew up in St. Louis ) anyhow West Nile has been back here for sometime already in my area this year. I have found several birds already dead this year on my property in the country, but so far no human cases yet have been reported in my area.

[csvset]

What's up with the blonde hair kid without the mask?

I'm not sure, however, the Tourist Guy has his.

(He's lurking in the background.)

Also, what's the cryptic message on the boy's shirt?

[Pro-Bush]

Ok..I admit that picture disturbes me.

[FairOpinion]

I think the picture is a joke. I looked and it's titled something like "SARS old family photo".

Knowing that, the FUK 5Ar5 can be read F**K SARS, and it would make sense, he is the one without the mask, I guess he isn't afraid of it.

But in China in the affected areas I did see everyone wearing masks.

[stlnative]

Outbreak of Human Monkeypox, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1996 to 1997

Exposure to an animal reservoir might have been the source of infection for at least 27% of patients who reported no exposure to other patients during the incubation period. Past animal studies pointed to several species of squirrels as animal reservoirs[5,6]. Although the possibility of infection of animals with another unknown indigenous orthopoxvirus cannot be ruled out in animals with neutralizing antibodies, the results of our investigation suggest that, in addition to squirrels, Gambian rats may play a role in monkeypox virus circulation. Villagers ate a number of different animals, and it was impossible to draw any conclusions as to whether any one species was a greater risk factor than any other. However, antibody surveys could be used to evaluate porcupines as a possible reservoir (Table 1), which was not done during our investigation because no porcupines were captured by the trappers.

[oceanperch]

Thanks for posting that info.

[Pro-Bush]

The picture looks doctored...Still creepy.

[Centurion2000]

Disease carrying varmits!

Funny, but I've never heard of prairie dogs carrying monkeypox before ... something doesn't seem to be jiving here.

What they ARE known for carrying in bubonic plague.

[oceanperch]

Aren't prairie dogs carries of is it Bubonic Plague or Rabies?

They don't sound like very clean varments.