A squirrel found in Morrison on July 11 tested positive

[acs]

" Squirrel in Morrison Colo tests positive for bubonic plague...

Both humans and household animals can become infected with the plague without proper precautions.

Humans may become sick with the plague through bites from infected fleas, a cough from an infected animal, or direct contact — such as a bite — with the blood or tissue of an infected animal, according to the health department."



Saw this article thought I'd share it with my nutter hunter/pester forum buddies.

Be careful, imo handle all nutters as if they have it if you're in the west/mtns. Imo, be careful of pets that take/chase nutters/vermin.

Bubonic plague is no joke, killed millions. If modern antibiotics aren't started in time organ damage/death is possible...

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/squirrel-in-morrison-tests-positive-for-bubonic-plague

 

[wimpanzee]

They show an eastern gray squirrel but do not say what species was infected. My understanding it is is usually ground squirrels and other ground mammals that usually carry it.

 

[Guest]

That’s scary. I’ve seen squirrels scratching like a dog in my yard. I assume they had fleas. My dog ended up with fleas. They are hard to get rid of in the house. I had no clue the plague was still around and squirrels could carry it. 

 

[B.Guns.]

Also many of the rabbits in Colorado are infected with "bunny ebola" which is a hemorrhagic disease that kills the rabbits like ebola does to humans. It's supposedly non transferable to humans and other animals. I find a few rabbits that have died from it my barn every month or so. 

 

[Raden1942]

I have been killing skunks in my yard for weeks. Got 3 babies this month alone and thier mom. They get into spats with my cat and eat his food. Anyway for those of us who don't agree with this practice this is a good thread to circle back to. Yesterday my neighbor saw a baby skunk acting strange and trapped it. After taking it to the vet it came up with distemper. There are treatments for bubonic plague and rabies but the best treatment is a pellet and a shovel. Thanks for the info man. 

 

[Crusher]

Whats that smell?



Crusher

 

[acs]

They show an eastern gray squirrel but do not say what species was infected. My understanding it is is usually ground squirrels and other ground mammals that usually carry it.

Not sure, do grays hang in Colo mtns..?

If any rodents have tested positive for BP, others could easily have it. Read its extremely contagious to many mammals. Not sure how this 1 nutter went in for a test, I mean its not like he waited in line to get a nasal swab.... Was it a regular Fish & Wildlife agency routine yearly species testing where they test 1 squirrel for pathogens..? If so, bound to be many more infected.

jmo

 

[Calbarry]

There's been a warning for awhile in California to be aware that ground squirrels have been found to carry bubonic plague. The ranch I shoot on is loaded with them. I just leave them where they were shot. No need to take any chances

 

[cootertwo]

In SW Florida, we have grey's and Fox. For years I've noticed the greys in my yard, scratching like heck. I always figured it was either fleas, or mites/mange, neither of which I want my 2 dogs (my children) getting into. A couple of seasons ago, I started clearing them out, and when I would pick one up by the tail, that I had just shot, wearing gloves, if you didn't hold on tight, the squirrel would fall out of your grasp on the ground, and leave your glove full of hair, and the dead squirrel on the ground, with a now, RAT tail, no hair. Very diseased for sure. Lately, have not noticed that so much. And the silly powers that be, actually have a season on the damned fuzzy tailed rats in my area.

 

[Calbarry]

In Ca, some people turn in dead animals to Fish and Wildlife to examination. Most of the ones that are turned in are found in parks, by campers

 

[Yo]

So WHAT HAPPENS when you leave all them dead diseased carcasses for other animals to eat? What happens to them? Up the food chain... Maybe a hog eats then WE eat him?

 

[Calbarry]

So far, they haven't found any signs of the plague in any other animals

 

[provels]

But of course.

It's 2020.

 

[sonny]

I remember something about bb in Arizona somewhere 20 yrs ago ...was rats or something. Apparently the plague is still around.

 

[sonny]

So WHAT HAPPENS when you leave all them dead diseased carcasses for other animals to eat? What happens to them? Up the food chain... Maybe a hog eats then WE eat him?

True.

 

[lenweber2]

Ground squirrels and Prairie Dogs have carried the bubonic plague seems like for ever. The plague runs high at times and all but wipes them out. Then a few years go by and we have targets again. But I cringe when I see pesters gather a bunch up for a photo session. Keeping them thinned down helps control the plague. There just like us humans and the Covid-19, only we should know better, big crowds are killers.

 

[L.Leon]

While camping in Yosemite valley some years back. I saw a ranger live trapping ground squirrels. The squirrels were everywhere. So I inquired and he stated that they are known carriers of the bubonic plague. So they were tested regularly... 

 

[pb0201]

Nothing new there. It's been documented for 50+ years. I think it is a great scare tactic!! Keep the sheeple scared and inside!!!

 

[SilentSquirrel]

Some think that 70 years ago, Mao Zedong sent the first bubonic plague infected squirrel to the U.S.

 

[Blackpaw]

In another life I had a background in Microbiology, where I use to work with a lot of nasty disease and even bubonic plague. So when I lived in Utah and Idaho I would go to Wyoming to shoot prairie dogs. I would just leave shot prairie dogs where they were shot because I knew they were known have fleas that were carriers of Yersenia Pestis, the bacteria that causes bubonic plague. So when I see videos, or photos of people holding shot prairie dogs I cringe. One of Matt Dubber’s videos shows him out shooting prairie dogs in Wyoming and he held up a shot prairie dog, if I remember correctly, bare handed. I am surprised the Utah Airgun guys didn’t tell him that was a bad idea because of the risk of bubonic plague.