Another Case of Plague - This Time in New Mexico

Another case of bubonic plague was confirmed in New Mexico, the fourth confirmed in the U.S. The patient is a 73-year old woman who, after hospitalization, is now recovering at home. Bubonic plague--or the plague organism-- is carried by fleas which, in turn, are carried about by rats. So rats are then the principle "vectors" of plague. And, as it stands, the frequency of plague cases are rare. Rats may rarely carry plague, but they do very frequently carry other disease organisms. One of the most frequent causes "Rat Bite Fever." Videos about rat-bite fever. For more information about rodent- or rat-carried diseases see related playlist on our Youtube channel: Cascade Pest Control. For information on rat control, rat inspections, rodent control, rodent inspections, rodent-proofing and exclusion from www.CascadePest.com . Rodent control is important to our health and well-being because rats contaminate our food and/or living space, spread diseases, cause damage such as by compressing insulation or gnawing on electrical wires. Rats live in cities, both urban and suburban areas...wherever there is enough human population to help them by with garbage, food (often pet food and bird seed or compost...but sometimes our actual food from household kitchens to stores to warehouses.) We also supply rats (rattus novegicus and rattus rattus) shelter with the cavities of our walls, attics and crawlspaces and our insulation for their nest material. Rat control should be maintained by professionals and an ongoing maintenance program designed to protect your home from future invasion. The rat populations is maintained throughout greater Seattle, from areas up north like Arlingtion down through Everett, Lynnwood, and down through Seattle north-to-south. The resident rodent population resides in other homes, greenbelts, saltwater beaches and so on. Besides a continuous rat population "reservoir" down through Seattle, there are more or less continuous pockets of rats living clear around the north end of lake Washington and in the communities of Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville, Kirkland and down through Bellevue. Mercer Island is not immune. It has a high incidence of rats, many of which take refuge in the many greenbelts. This pattern of fairly continuous pockets of rat population "networks" also runs down through Maple Valley to Renton, SeaTac (including the airport), Burien, Des Moines and Kent. A few decades ago rats weren't found on the Sammamish plateau. But now, with the many housing developments the former population of field mice are rapidly being displaced by rats, found often now in Snoqualmie and North Bend.