Bubonic Plague has been confirmed in a squirrel, in Jefferson County, Colorado. Now there is no panic needed, the risk of human contracting this is extremely low, but the fact that the plague is spreading this fast at least among the animal population, is concerning because that means more exposure risks for humans.

The Bubonic Plague is a biohazard level of 4-4 and is extremely deadly for humans. The main vector for this biohazard is by fleas, with entail cause the plague in animals, any animal that carry fleas and thus can infect humans.

The biggest concern is that since the black plague, the human race has pretty much ignored this hazard. Thus making us ill prepared for any type of major outbreak.

Plague, a bacterial disease of rodents, is generally transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas, but can also be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, rabbits, and pets. Symptoms of plague in humans include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, and weakness. In most cases, there is a painful swelling of the lymph node in the groin, armpit or neck areas. Plague symptoms in cats and dogs are fever, lethargy and loss of appetite. There may be a swelling in the lymph node under the jaw. With prompt diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment, the fatality rate in people and pets can be greatly reduced.

Bubonic Plague; Biohazard Level: 4-4 Hazardous

Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.

(RSOE) Jefferson County Public Health has confirmed that a squirrel from the Idledale area has tested positive for bubonic plague. Plague is a highly infectious bacterial disease carried by various types of wild rodents and is transmitted primarily by flea bites. Squirrels, rodents, prairie dogs and other mammals, such as rabbits and cats are susceptible to plague because they carry fleas. “The risk of residents contracting plague is extremely low,” said Jefferson County Public Health Director Dr. Mark Johnson. “We want people to be aware that summer marks the beginning of the plague season, and just a few simple precautions will further reduce that risk. The best way to prevent plague is to control the presence of rodents and fleas in and around the home. In addition, people should avoid contact with any species of wild rodents, especially sick or dead rodents. If a dead rodent is found, do not handle the animal directly, use gloves and place it in a plastic bag. Dogs and cats should be confined so they cannot prey on infected rodents and then bring the disease home with them. Pet owners who live close to rodent populations should use flea-control products recommended by their veterinarian. Controlling fleas on pets will prevent the transfer of fleas to humans. If these precautions are taken, the probability of contracting plague is extremely low. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should consult a physician immediately: sudden onset of high fever; muscle pain; malaise, or a general feeling of being ill; nausea; and vomiting. Jefferson County Public Health will continue its plague surveillance of rodent populations in the county.

Other Cases

http://cspdb.com/csp17/index.php/medical-report/870-medical-alert-plague-usa

http://cspdb.com/csp17/index.php/medical-report/876-medical-alert-update-hantavirus-utah-spread

http://cspdb.com/csp17/index.php/medical-report/871-medical-alert-murine-typhus-california

http://cspdb.com/csp17/index.php/medical-report/863-medical-alert-sw-usa-hantavirus

Source Links

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_summary&edis_id=BH-20120622-35517-USA

The magma pool under Yellowstone is far larger than the one under Mount Etna, pictured here spewing lava Reuterswww.mirror.co.uk Supervolcanoes with the power to destroy human civilisations may have much shorter fuses than was previously thought, scientists believe.

The news could be bad for the US, where a supervolcano is said to be simmering beneath Yellowstone National Park.

If it erupted, two thirds of the country could be rendered uninhabitable.

Supervolcanoes are fuelled by giant pools of magma that form deep underground.

Geologists had thought it took between 100,000 to 200,000 years for a supervolcano magma pool to build up enough pressure to erupt.

But the new study suggests that the giant magma bodies may only exist for a few thousand years, or even a few hundred, before exploding.

A magma reservoir six miles below Yellowstone has been rising at a record rate since 2004.

Hotspot: Tourists watch the 'Old Faithful' geyser



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National treasure: The sun rises near the Black Sand Basin in Yellowstone National Park



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The Wyoming park sits above a gigantic plume of hot and molten rock that begins at least 400 miles beneath Earth’s surface and rises to 30 miles underground, where it widens to about 300 miles across.

Blobs of magma occasionally break off from the top of the plume, and rise farther, resupplying the magma chamber beneath the Yellowstone Caldera.

Resembling the lid of a cooking pot, the caldera formed when the last super-eruption occurred 600,000 years ago.

The supervolcano has erupted a total of three times in the last 2.1 million years. Scientists believe it could be due to erupt again.

A full scale eruption at Yellowstone would be 1,000 times more powerful than the volcanic blast that tore apart Mount St Helens in 1980.

Explosive: A satellite image of Mount St Helens after the eruption



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There is evidence that a similar super-eruption in Indonesia 74,000 years ago came close to wiping out the entire human species.

The new study was based on analysis of a super-eruption that occurred in eastern California 760,000 years ago.

Several independent lines of evidence indicated that the magma pool erupted within a few thousand years, perhaps within a few hundred years, covering half the North American continent with smouldering ash.

The scientists based their estimate on quartz crystallisation rates. Previous studies have relied on the growth of zircon crystals, which is said to be a less accurate method.

The research is published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.

Lead scientist Dr Guilherme Gualda, from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, said: “Our study suggests that when these exceptionally large magma pools form they are ephemeral and cannot exist very long without erupting.

“The fact that the process of magma body formation occurs in historical time, instead of geological time, completely changes the nature of the problem.”

He said regions such as Yellowstone should be monitored regularly to provide advance warning of a catastrophic super-eruption.

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