Random annoying perspectives on disease.
Random annoying perspectives on disease. Average 1-17 cases of Yersinia pestis (i.e., OMG THE BLACK DEATH MEDIEVAL HORROR) are reported per year in the US. It's endemic in the Southwest. What you didn't hear about is the outbreak in Madagascar in 2013, that killed people. Or the ongoing outbreaks over the years in parts of Africa, that kill people.
It's treatable with antibiotics (some people can still die, though generally not in the US). There was a vaccine (although it reportedly caused nasty reactions and you had to keep getting it every few months, or something) that's no longer available. There's a new vaccine under development that might come out in 2015.
There have been a total of under 10 cases of ebola in the US, including all the people deliberately brought back from Africa. I do not think we need to panic quite yet. But we should probably pay attention.
P.S. Plague is a major factor in the wiping out of the black-tailed prairie dog in the Western US. However, their fleas don't like us, so we get it mostly from rats' and squirrels' fleas. Save the prairie dogs! Yes, I am one of those sick people who finds humor in almost everything.
It's treatable with antibiotics (some people can still die, though generally not in the US). There was a vaccine (although it reportedly caused nasty reactions and you had to keep getting it every few months, or something) that's no longer available. There's a new vaccine under development that might come out in 2015.
There have been a total of under 10 cases of ebola in the US, including all the people deliberately brought back from Africa. I do not think we need to panic quite yet. But we should probably pay attention.
P.S. Plague is a major factor in the wiping out of the black-tailed prairie dog in the Western US. However, their fleas don't like us, so we get it mostly from rats' and squirrels' fleas. Save the prairie dogs! Yes, I am one of those sick people who finds humor in almost everything.
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