Health officials: Child camping in Yose contracts plague

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rlown
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Health officials: Child camping in Yose contracts plague

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Original Title: Health officials: Child camping in Yosemite National Park contracts plague

Source: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/43096 ... camping-in

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — California officials say a child camping in Yosemite National Park fell ill with plague and was sent to a hospital.

The state's Department of Public Health said Thursday that the family from Los Angeles County camped at Yosemite's Crane Flat Campground in mid-July and visited other places in the Stanislaus National Forest. No other family members became sick, and the child is recovering.

Plague is carried by rodents such as squirrels and spread when fleas carry the disease from a dead rodent to other animals or people.

Officials say it is not transmitted between humans, except in the rare cases. Plague can be fatal if left untreated.

Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea and swollen lymph nodes.

Since 1970, 42 people in California have contracted plague resulting in nine deaths.
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maverick
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Re: Health officials: Child camping in Yose contracts plague

Post by maverick »

Great, Hantavirus in 2012, and now the plague.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Health officials: Child camping in Yose contracts plague

Post by Tom_H »

Those rodents have carried Yesenia pestis since European explorers arrived in North America. Fortunately, modern strains are not as virulent as during the black death. Chipmunks are cute; people assume they are harmless and let their kids feed them. As in most things wild, it's best to just leave them alone. I know I'm preaching to the choir here. Sad that it takes events like this to get the message at least partially into the heads of the general population.
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Jimr
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Re: Health officials: Child camping in Yose contracts plague

Post by Jimr »

Not only is in not as virulent, but the plagues of antiquity assured through death that the humans that are left have some ability to create immunities. Just like the Spanish Flu at the turn of the 20th century. The epitome of Darwinism.
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rlown
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Re: Health officials: Child camping in Yose contracts plague

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