CBS New York...Bubonic Plague in NYC???

CBS News NY- channel 2 | 11/6/02 | johnnyjumpstart

[johnnyjumpstart]

As the CBS local News broadcast was signing off to go to the National news at 6:30 tonight ...they announced..."This just in....2 people in New York City hospital with symptoms of BUBONIC PLAUGE"! N0 detail yet.........

[archy]

That's why I've got the 22-250.

By all means use it, but if you have dogs that come into your home, keep them well away from the shredded remains.

They fly apart pretty good when hit by a 6.5x55 Swede, too....

-archy-/-

[adaven]

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/info.htm

How Is Plague Transmitted?

Plague is transmitted from animal to animal and from animal to human by the bites of infective fleas. Less frequently, the organism enters through a break in the skin by direct contact with tissue or body fluids of a plague-infected animal, for instance, in the process of skinning a rabbit or other animal. Plague is also transmitted by inhaling infected droplets expelled by coughing, by a person or animal, especially domestic cats, with pneumonic plague. Transmission of plague from person to person is uncommon and has not been observed in the United States since 1924 but does occur as an important factor in plague epidemics in some developing countries.

Diagnosis

The pathognomic sign of plague is a very painful, usually swollen, and often hot-to-the touch lymph node, called a bubo. This finding, accompanied with fever, extreme exhaustion, and a history of possible exposure to rodents, rodent fleas, wild rabbits, or sick or dead carnivores should lead to suspicion of plague.

Onset of bubonic plague is usually 2 to 6 days after a person is exposed. Initial manifestations include fever, headache, and general illness, followed by the development of painful, swollen regional lymph nodes. Occasionally, buboes cannot be detected for a day or so after the onset of other symptoms. The disease progresses rapidly and the bacteria can invade the bloodstream, producing severe illness, called plague septicemia.

Once a human is infected, a progressive and potentially fatal illness generally results unless specific antibiotic therapy is given. Progression leads to blood infection and, finally, to lung infection. The infection of the lung is termed plague pneumonia, and it can be transmitted to others through the expulsion of infective respiratory droplets by coughing.

The incubation period of primary pneumonic plague is 1 to 3 days and is characterized by development of an overwhelming pneumonia with high fever, cough, bloody sputum, and chills. For plague pneumonia patients, the death rate is over 50%.

Treatment Information

As soon as a diagnosis of suspected plague is made, the patient should be isolated, and local and state health departments should be notified. Confirmatory laboratory work should be initiated, including blood cultures and examination of lymph node specimens if possible. Drug therapy should begin as soon as possible after the laboratory specimens are taken. The drugs of choice are streptomycin or gentamycin, but a number of other antibiotics are also effective.

Those individuals closely associated with the patient, particularly in cases with pneumonia, should be traced, identified, and evaluated. Contacts of pneumonic plague patients should be placed under observation or given preventive antibiotic therapy, depending on the degree and timing of contact.

It is a U.S. Public Health Service requirement that all suspected plague cases be reported to local and state health departments and the diagnosis confirmed by the CDC. As required by the International Health Regulations, CDC reports all U.S. plague cases to the World Health Organization.

Prevention
Plague will probably continue to exist in its many localized geographic areas around the world, and plague outbreaks in wild rodent hosts will continue to occur. Attempts to eliminate wild rodent plague are costly and futile. Therefore, primary preventive measures are directed toward reducing the threat of infection in humans in high risk areas through four techniques -- environmental management, public health education, preventive drug therapy, and vaccines.

[VermiciousKnid]

According to Michael Bloomberg, you get it from smoking.

Regards,

[adaven]

And these cute lil' fellas....

Oh.. you mean targets! ;-)

[Cvengr]

Mom said, That's whatja get when you sleep with 'Rats.

[RepubMommy]

Anyone know the symptoms of Bubonic plague?

I am an RN and I can't say that I for sure can list the symptoms off the top of my head. They just don't teach about these kind of diseases in modern nursing schools anymore.

[CedarDave]

I'm sure they do in NM where there are a handful of human cases each year. When you go visit your vet to have your pets vaccinated, you see posters on the wall of the waiting room warning about the plague and telling pet owners not to let their pets run free and, if they do, warn them to be on the lookout if a pet brings home a dead rodent. When you go hiking, we are told to dust pets with a flea powder or have a good flea collar. No big deal here -- just be aware it's out there. I'd rather have plague and hanta virus to worry about than Lyme disease which, IMHO, is much more likely to be contracted by humans.

New Mexico's unoffical motto -- Land of the flea and home of the plague!

[null and void]

For all that, it still looks like frostbite. (I was wrong once, a long time ago)...

[CedarDave]

A more informative response to your request for symptoms can be found here:

University of New Mexico Hospital Information on Plague and Plague Prevention

[CedarDave]

BTW, #3 on the prevention list is definitely important for plague prevention in NM:

3.Consider removal of things which attract rodents to the home, such as uncovered garbage kept outside, wrecked cars, and piles of refuse near the home.

[GOPJ]

So that's plague? I always thought it was smallpox...

ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down

[sheik yerbouty]

Only if huge numbers of rats start carrying infected fleas.

[Ispy4u]

Yep! Learned it on the history channel. Couldn't find a Hist. Channel link but here's one. Mother Goose Rhymes

[vannrox]

.



Biological/Bacteriological WarFare - Background and preventative measures to be taken in an urban area such as New York City.


Please go here to see the outside information link.

[archy]

For all that, it still looks like frostbite. (I was wrong once, a long time ago)...

Consider the unfortunate Arctic traveller who, stumbling through snowdrifts and wind-driven subzero cold, finally sfinds shelter, and collapses inside, only to become infested with the fleas from a few near-frozen rats....

Some guys have absolutely no luck at all....

-archy-/-