Bubonic Plague

[wolf63]

This is an interesting story.  Maybe there is some truth to Cats killing us off and taking over the planet.

https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/oregons-1st-bubonic-plague-case-in-8-years-tied-to-patients-pet-cat

The poor little kitty didn't survive.

[jno]

"avoid fleas" is excellent advice, in theory. But you can't just cut them dead when they stop you in the street for a chat.

[Old_Geezer]

Nothing for it then; we'll have to kill off all the cats and other pets to keep clear of the disease.

 

Meanwhile maybe Wuhan can be useful and develop a global virus that kills fleas 100% of the time.

[ToraToraTora]

Purrlease!

[Peter Pedant]

the cat and dog flea is ctenophalides, and doesn't usually 'do' plague

The black rat ( rattus rattus) flea ( xenopsylla cheopsis), does, and MUST have rat blood to complete its cycle...as we all learn at school, the black rat was displaced by Norwegian rat - and curtains to Plague

the child was unlucky. 

[wolf63]

PP - I read in another version of the same story that the cat was a ratter and had picked on the wrong rat and had been bitten.

The wound then got septic and pus-filled and the plague then got transferred to the human via the pus.

I don't suppose all wild rats would be carrying the same germs.  I know they carry Leptospirosis and this is caught by humans.

Can you imagine the man going to the doctor after becoming ill - I wouldn't think that Bubonic Plague would be the doctor's first diagnosis.  I would doubt that there would be half a dozen confirmed cases per year.

[jno]

well, if he starts flashing his buboes that might be a hint.

[wolf63]

Jno - are you and Douglas the Coo competing for the one-sentence answers competition 2024?  

😁😁