Plague: (well true, but...) Bulbonic Plaque in Denver

Well The NY Times says that the plague is carried by fleas that live on Rats/rodents and Squirrels.

Harumph..
Can you say GOG vs. Magog? (the end of days????) Heh heh. Just kidding (I think).

Could it Jump to humans??? Sure. Might it???
HEY Steven King, Did YOU Release Captain Trips on us?

{side note: Capt'n Trips was discussed, and hypothized WAY before the AIDS crisis hit. But who knows if it might have its origins in Bulbonic Plague, or even BIRD FLU!

Ready 2 VeggiE (3): Getting ready to say GOODBYE

In A Previous post, I talk about Bird Flu again! And I just wanted to add the following links to update it.

INTERESTING. Worldwide BIRD migratory routes

Now note, this does not look like it has 2006 data, and so far we've heard of reports from FRANCE, Israel, AFRICA, ASIA and Australia.
Just waiting for the Americas to start to check in!


Again, My feeling is that the US IS NOT immune from it.
This article says that a rumor that Bird Flu Closer to US is denied by the Mexican Government.
The GOOD news is that according to this article,the current bird flu strain does NOT seem to be transmitting itself to HUMANS.. (unless I guess you use the chicken head like a ball, like 2 kids who died in Africa did)..

Cheers (??)
MarkBnj

Ready 2 VeggiE: Get Ready to say bye to Eggs, Chicken!

In the News: Bird Flu Hits Poultry Stocks at French Farm

Hey Folks:

See my predictions at end of this piece!

Bird Flu Has now hit the largest commercial Turkey Farm in France.

It's Getting Closer!
We will:
A) Lose ALL (commercial & small farm) Poultry farming in the USA.
B) For a limited amount of time, EGGS will be available.
However, Organic (Free-Range) eggs will become unavailable by this summer
C) There will no be more CHICKEN in this country by November 2006
D) We will have a full fledged FLU PANDEMIC by December 2006
Mark
(and it won't affect me unless I catch the flu from a Human... I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years now!

RanDom: Flus, Viruses and Pandemics

Interesting Site: Bird-Flu news.

Bird Flu
News
This brings up my first book review/recommendation:
Flu:
The story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918; and the search for the virus that caused it: By Gina Kolata, first published (wow, is it SO long ago? 1999)

Having READ this book years ago,(and always loaning it out of my personal library) I was very ready when the Avian Flew first came out last year.

" Scientists have recently discovered shards of the flu virus in human remains frozen in the Arctic tundra and in scraps of tissue preserved in a government warehouse."

She goes thru a great deal of the background in a very non-technical way.