PLAGUE, COUGAR - USA (WYOMING)

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International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 13 Jan 2010
Source: Examiner.com [edited]



The 5th cougar [actually the 6th. - Mod.MHJ] to succumb to the plague
in recent years was found at the southern end of Grand Teton National
Park in recent days.

The female cat was known in the area of Jackson, Wyoming for
wandering around the region. The 6-year-old cat found by biologists
had been tagged with a global positioning system collar.

The plague is naturally occurring in the area.

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium _Yersinia
pestis_. It is found in animals throughout the world, most commonly
in rats but also in other rodents like ground squirrels, prairie
dogs, chipmunks, rabbits and voles. Fleas typically serve as the
vector of plague.

People can also get infected through direct contact with an infected
animal, through inhalation, and, in the case of pneumonic plague,
person to person.

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[Felines, domestic and wild, pick up this infection in Wyoming from
sick ground squirrels and prairie dogs, which burns through these
underground communities. Domestic cats can bring it into the house,
so owners need to be on the alert.

To find Jackson, WY, go to:
. - Mod.MHJ]

[see also:
2008
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Plague, bubonic - USA: (CT ex WY) 20080827.2672
Plague, feline - USA (WY): mountain lion 20080522.1694
2006
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Plague, cougar - USA (WY) 20061215.3523
2005
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Plague, feline - USA (WY): Alert 20050709.1954]
..............................................ll/mhj/msp/mpp

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What they dont mention is that this "plague" can be spread by cattle too.