Últimas noticias relacionadas con este tema en:
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6465163
Plague wipes out prairie dog sites
The flea-carried disease has claimed at least two of five colonies at Schriever Air Force Base, near Colorado Springs.
The El Paso County Health Department has confirmed several prairie dog sites are infected with plague. The sites are at Schriever Air Force Base and on neighboring property, in eastern El Paso County. Plague is commonly found in the Western US in small ground animals that have been bitten by fleas. Human cases aren’t common, but plague can be transmitted to people from infected animals.
Since 1941, there have been 55 cases statewide of human plague. According to the Health Department, take the following precautions to prevent infection:
* Avoid contact with sick or dead prairie dogs and rabbits.
* Keep a close eye on pets, and make sure they are treated for fleas and properly secured when outdoors.
* Do not linger in areas populated by prairie dogs, rabbits, or similar animals. Also do not attempt to catch, feed, or play with them.
* Treat pants, socks, shoe tops, arms, and legs with insect repellent when engaged in outdoor activities, such as hiking or jogging.
* Be aware of dead animal smells or heavy fly populations indicating animal “die-offs,” which are a key sign of plague. Report such areas to the Health Department.
Black-tailed prairie dogs (_Cynomys ludovicianus_) are numerous in Colorado.The causative bacterium _Yersinia pestis_ is transmitted to people through fleabite and direct contact with infected animals. Each rodent species is host to one or more species of fleas which, when infected, are carriers. These fleas generally do not infest other animals unless their natural hosts are unavailable. Rock squirrels (_Spermophilus variegates_) are closely related to California ground squirrels and are the most significant plague host in Colorado. Their principal flea _Diamanus montanus_ is an aggressive parasite and will readily bite other animals and people. Domestic cats and dogs can also contract plague by infective fleas. They may carry infected fleas home to their owners or, especially with cats, serve as a direct source of infection.In humans, the incubation period (interval between exposure and appearance of symptoms) is usually 2-6 days. Typical symptoms include sudden onset of fever and chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and a general feeling of systemic illness. Extreme pain and swelling in a lymph node draining the infection site is a suggestive symptom of bubonic plague. (The swollen, painful node is called a “bubo”). Other forms of the disease include septicemic illness with no bubo developing, and pneumonic plague in which the lungs are involved. The septicemic and pneumonic forms are the most serious. In addition, pneumonic plague can be spread by inhalation of infective droplets expelled by another human or animal with plague pneumonia.Treatment with antibiotics is effective during the early stages of disease. If diagnosis and appropriate treatment are delayed, life-threatening complications may follow. A doctor or hospital emergency room should be consulted as soon as symptoms appear and a history of exposure to potentially infected animals is very important in evaluating the risk from plague. Anti-plague vaccine is not readily available. It may be advantageous for researchers or people working with plague-infected animals to be vaccinated but it is not indicated for the general public.It is an opportune time to remember to treat your pets, cats, and dogs with appropriate flea control. There are many excellent choices of products to rid your pet of fleas. Be sure to consult your veterinarian as some products may be toxic to cats, kittens, and puppies, even resulting in fatalities.
Archivado bajo: epidemiología, noticias
