Thursday, September 24, 2015

Bubonic Plague Reported in Michigan

There have been 14 human cases of bubonic plague in the United States this year alone. A fact few Americans are aware of. Just recently the Michigan Dept. of Health & Human Services reported a new case near Lake Superior. Locating the "reservoir" of rats carrying bubonic plague is being complicated by the fact that this person had recently traveled to Colorado and back. See original article. Cases of bubonic plague, while rare, show up in various parts of the country. In the 1960's rats carrying fleas infested with bubonic plague were found. Since 1970 most cases have been from New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona. However, with Seattle ranking highly* among the most rat-infested cities in the U.S. could harbor some bubonic plague carrying rats as well. Rats actually carry fleas, particularly the oriental rat flea, which in turn carry the plague organism. See Cascade Pest Control YouTube channel with playlist devoted to rodent-borne diseases. For more information on Rats and Rodents in the greater Seattle, Eastside (Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, Kirkland +), King county and Snohomish county. *Seattle ranked 7th and 1st on two different reports within the last 12 months.

No comments: