http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/14/michigan-resident-tests-positive-for-plague



Michigan resident tests positive for plague







Monday, September 14, 2015 7:15:33 EDT PM


A Michigan resident is recovering from the state's first ever confirmed case of bubonic plague, state health officials said on Monday.

The adult resident of Marquette County in the state's Upper Peninsula recently returned from a Colorado area with reported plague activity and there is no cause for concern about human-to-human contact, the state health department said.

It was the 14th human plague case reported nationally in 2015, more than four times the average of three cases annually of the rare and potentially life-threatening flea-borne illness, state health officials said.

An elderly Utah resident died from plague in August and two people have succumbed to the disease this year in Colorado.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the plague was introduced to the United States in 1900 by rat-infested steamships that had sailed from affected areas, mostly in Asia.

Early symptoms of plague include high fever, chills, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin.

A little added research will show, that it is most commonly spread by the 'feline flea'.

By cat fleas .. really why not from dogs or rats?

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_plague%20

A cat is infected be the rat either by fleas and or ingestion.

The irony,
is that the fleas on dogs and rats,
generally ARE feline fleas.

I wasn't there during the flea naming contest. So don't blame me for the name.

In Europe, during the plague, spread of disease was attributed to rats. So, along come the cats... and the disease still spread. Same type of flea.

LOL... no need to defend the cat.
Kitty booboo wasn't attacked.

And, what specific type of flea?

Oh ok, That makes sense.

Bubonic plague carrying fleas...

That article was the first I came across for info not really defending the cat :)

It doesn't mention the type of flea just pretty much says how to control rodents.

I found this as well

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis

In reservoir hosts[edit]

Several species of rodents serve as the main reservoir for Y. pestis in the environment. In the steppes, the reservoir species is believed to be principally the marmot. In the western United States, several species of rodents are thought to maintain Y. pestis. However, the expected disease dynamics have not been found in any rodent. A variety of species of rodents are known to have a variable resistance, which could lead to an asymptomatic carrier status.[19] Evidence indicates fleas from other mammals have a role in human plague outbreaks.[20]

This lack of knowledge of the dynamics of plague in mammal species is also true among susceptible rodents such as the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), in which plague can cause colony collapse, resulting in a massive effect on prairie food webs.[21] However, the transmission dynamics within prairie dogs does not follow the dynamics of blocked fleas; carcasses, unblocked fleas, or another vector could possibly be important, instead.[22]

In other regions of the world, the reservoir of the infection is not clearly identified, which complicates prevention and early warning programs. One such example was seen in a 2003 outbreak in Algeria.[23]

Good ole Wikipedia



Bubonic plague is an infection of the lymphatic system, usually resulting from the bite of an infected flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (the rat flea). In very rare circumstances, as in the septicemic plague, the disease can be transmitted by direct contact with infected tissue or exposure to the cough of another human. The flea is parasitic on house and field rats, and seeks out other prey when its rodent hosts die. The bacteria remained harmless to the flea, allowing the new host to spread the bacteria. The bacteria form aggregates in the gut of infected fleas and this results in the flea regurgitating ingested blood, which is now infected, into the bite site of a rodent or human host. Once established, bacteria rapidly spread to the lymph nodes and multiply.

Thanks for the info :) So the bacteria is harmless to the flea like mosquitos carrying disease that's kind of weird how insects can do that.

Oriental Rat Flea
There are a few other species of fleas that will feed off of dogs and cats if their preferred host species is not available. Xenopsylla cheopsis is the scientific name for the oriental rat flea, which is a carrier of the bubonic plague. These fleas prefer rats, but will feed off of humans, dogs and cats if necessary.

Yes, it is gross.
Next topic please

they are saying it's the groundhog fleas in CO and west, haven't heard about MI.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/index.php?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=BH-20150915-50074-USA

they had just returned from CO....

I knew I could goad someone into looking it up.

Thank you.

Cats, the wretched disease infested vermin they are, are maligned enough.

Lol I can understand why you would want to go to another topic.

You know what sucks?
In the southwest, especially here in AZ, plague is kinda common, it's been diagnosed in animals here for years.

What sucks worse is after the economic downturn in 2007 a-holes that couldn't afford them anymore were just dumping their pets.
Driving out to a slow part of town and letting their dog out of the car, just taking a box of kittens into petco and leaving them in a cart.
Or they'd have their house foreclosed on and leave their pets behind.
Plus there are morons that are just feeding them, just leaving food out for wild cats.
One lady had like 40 that would come to her house everyday.

Not to mention so many a-holes brought in fruit trees, and midwest greenery, which produce food that just falls to the ground, rots, and attracts rats.

There's a huge problem with roof rats.

So we got tons of cats, tons of rats, tons of fleas, and tons of plague.

I'm surprised there hasn't been a massive extinction of people here yet.

Yes I can see how that would be unpleasant. I am from Ontario and there is a feral cat problem here as well scattered with a few dogs. There is a Humane Society that is kept really busy so a lot of vets and pets stores help out. Some have programs so that people can afford pet care and or it is easier to adopt them.

Farmers have to keep there orchards up to code and cities cant grow fruit trees. There is still a rat problem here though and of course mice. Ants are a problem as well.

Dirty hippies are also often the source of fleas.

Sounds like the plague is going to be around for awhile longer :(

Hopefully Someone can think of a solution.

nothing unusual!
Plague has been around for Ages,and will be around for a while longer!
There are some cases every year in the US!
Doubt it would become the Scourge again it was in Asia and Europe in the Meddle Ages!