Did you hear there is a teenager in Oregon with Bubonic Plague?

Sgt Kelli Mays — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:07:01 -0400

http://news.yahoo.com/teenage-girl-oregon-hospitalized-bubonic-plague-055328058.html

I thought this disease was wiped out?

This is scary....they think she got it from a flea bite.

Teenage girl in Oregon hospitalized with bubonic plague

The girl was believed to have been infected by a flea bite during a hunting trip earlier this month, according to the Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division and the Crook County Public Health Department. The teen was in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Bend, in central Oregon, health officials said. "Many people think of the plague as a disease of the past, but it's still very much present in our environment, particularly...

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Oct 30 at 2015 4:08 PM

SSG Carlos Madden — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:08:11 -0400

Its still around.

WHO | Plague

One of the oldest identifiable diseases known to man, plague remains endemic in many natural foci around the world. It is still widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics and in warmer areas of temperate countries. Essentially a disease of wild rodents, plague is spread from one rodent to another by flea ectoparasites and to humans either by the bite of infected fleas or when handling infected hosts. Recent outbreaks have shown that...

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Oct 30 at 2015 4:08 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:08:13 -0400

Sgt Kelli Mays What the Hel? what is this the damned middle ages? Are they treating it with leaches and blood letting, that would really make it a twilight zone episode.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 30 at 2015 4:13 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:13:53 -0400

Seriously? We've already seen other diseases return. Why not the plague? Does anyone think that illegal aliens would carry some diseases but not others? Now let's look at the irony of the situation. The plague swept across the Medieval World because people feared cats supposing that they were familiars for witches. As cats were eradicated, the rat population exploded. With the rats came the fleas carrying the plague. The thought processes that allow people to enter our country illegally without screening for disease so they will vote for the party that opened the gates for them, is just about as primitive as the fear of witches.

Response by Sgt Frances Krieger made Oct 30 at 2015 4:20 PM

Sgt Frances Krieger — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:20:07 -0400

Bubonic Plague is alive and well in parts of the world. It is just much treatable with modern medicine.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Oct 30 at 2015 4:25 PM

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:25:16 -0400

Yep... It's still alive and well, just not in great numbers... I was surprised a bit to hear of it in Oregon

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2015 4:45 PM

1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:45:05 -0400

This is why we still get inoculated for the plague.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Oct 30 at 2015 4:53 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:53:46 -0400

Scary stuff for sure

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Oct 30 at 2015 4:57 PM

MSgt James Mullis — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:57:19 -0400

It's nothing to panic over. The "Plague" is endemic to the rodent (including prairie dog) populations of the American Southwest. Human cases appear most often in the 4 corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, although there are also less frequent cases along the Pacific Coast from Mexico all the way up to Washington State. Its very treatable when diagnosed in its early stages. Unfortunately its early symptoms are similar to a severe case of the flu and may not be diagnosed by a doctor not trained to look for it. We had a case at a hospital I worked at in Colorado. It sent a young Resident Physician from Sri Lanka into a near panic when he heard "the Plague" was in the hospital. Its actually hard to catch, just wear a mask when sweeping rodent poop out of old buildings and stay away from dead animals.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2015 5:05 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 17:05:41 -0400

The disease was never wiped out. The main reason it decimated such large populations during the outbreaks in ancient and medieval times was due to lack of current medical technology, including now-commonly available antibiotics. The agent is often found in regions of the US where dry conditions occur and often the first signs of a local out break are deaths of rodents in the region. Prairie Dogs and Chipmunks are often effected.

Most of the time, with immediate care, those effected recover. The majority of the deaths in recent years occur in population centers where hygiene standards and medical care are poor.

Response by PO3 Sherry Thornburg made Oct 30 at 2015 5:27 PM

PO3 Sherry Thornburg — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 17:27:25 -0400

The plague is spread by infected fleas. There are a few cases that come up every year. http://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/

CDC - Maps & Statistics - Plague

Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis.

Response by SSG John Jensen made Oct 30 at 2015 6:52 PM

SSG John Jensen — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 18:52:04 -0400

California Average 1-2 a year, mostly from kids playing with dead squirrels - caught early it is really easy to deal with.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2015 9:37 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 21:37:09 -0400

It could have been a bite from a deer tick. They are very potent, but I don't know about carrying the plague.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 30 at 2015 10:24 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 22:24:38 -0400

No I did not hear there is a teenager in Oregon with Bubonic Plague Sgt Kelli Mays. Every so often the Bubonic Plague has popped up in different places around this country. I was inoculated against the Bubonic Plague in 1974 and 1980 because of the possibly that I might be deployed to somewhere were the Bubonic Plague was active.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2015 10:38 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 22:38:59 -0400

Sgt Kelli Mays thanks for posting, this is scary stuff. My question is, where was she hunting so I can avoid that area.