May 11, 2007
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dear peta,
this is not part 3 in our happy squirrel (rodent) series
i had no idea anyone loved squirrels. i mean, it is obvious that they are a product of the fall. but wow, some squirrel lovers. i had no idea. sorry. well, not really.
‘Black Death’ Found in Denver Squirrels
By Patrick O’Driscoll, USA TODAY
(May 11) – A rash of squirrel deaths from plague in the middle of Colorado’s largest city has heightened surveillance for the deadly but curable disease.
No humans here have been infected with plague, the “Black Death” disease that killed millions in 14th-century Europe. A state hotline gets 50-75 calls daily about dead rodents. Chris Urbina, Denver’s health director, says the risk of catching it “is extremely low.”
One human case has been reported in the USA this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 49-year-old man in San Juan County, N.M., was hospitalized last week and is recovering. A flu-like illness that occurs most often in lymph nodes or the blood, plague is treatable with antibiotics.
Denver’s last outbreak in rodents was nearly 40 years ago. So far, 13 squirrels have been found dead in or near City Park, an urban playground 2 miles from the state Capitol. Two infected squirrels and an infected rabbit were found dead in Denver suburbs.
Plague bacteria are carried by fleas that infect wild rodents, rabbits and cats, usually in rural areas. Plague reached the USA in the 19th century in rats on ships. It exists today only in the West, mainly in four states: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California.
Infected fleas can jump onto animals or humans. Coyotes, foxes and birds that feed on an infected carcass can transport the fleas but are resistant to plague.
John Pape, an epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, suspects that is how it got into town. He says the Denver occurrence is not an “outbreak” but warrants tracking. City workers this week caught 17 squirrels for testing.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reports 10-20 people a year catch plague in the USA. On average, one in seven dies.
“We’re always on watch,” says Deborah Busemeyer of the New Mexico Department of Health. The state had an above-normal year in 2006: Eight cases and three deaths. Pape says plague is more common in New Mexico than Colorado, where the last death was in 2004, one of three infections that year.
Plague season runs from April to November during periods of moisture and moderate temperature.
Among pets, dogs are resistant but cats are highly susceptible.
“Right now is a good time to keep cats inside,” says Diane Milholin, a Denver health inspector. “Your dog is not going to get sick from a flea, but if the flea stays on the dog and decides to bite you, you could get sick.”
Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2007-05-11 09:20:20
Comments (39)
That video was HILARIOUS…I showed it to everyone in my office!
That is one mean looking squirrelly dude !
Plague is pretty common in Denver (in animals), I was told when living there. I never quite got comfortable with that fact.
-Jamie
dunno dave. video was a bit hard to watch. some of your music is a bit hard to listen to. but most of tomlin’s music is hard to listen to. because most of your music is pretty easy to listen to.
this is from a purely musical standpoint, that is. except for the squirrel. check out the twilight sad.
DaGFlash – i have no idea what you just said.
Ummmm…. yeah…. There are certain existential dilemnas that will forever plague my mind. Why do respectable people watch fox news? How can the largest whales survive on the tiniest of plankton? Why do bad things happen to good people (setting aside the theological debate of wether such a thing even exists)? However, none of these can compare to the mental turmoil I find myself in right now. Today, at 3:18pm, my mind was officially blown. Squirrels are suffering from black death. If it is possible, I am both disturbed to no end and filled with laughter over this series of events. I also recognize that it is the responsibility of believers to bring hope and light into dark situations. That being said, I am hereby starting the Alliance to Educate Rodents About Hygiene. If my history books were correct, then the plague can be cured by washing with common house hold soap. The A.E.R.A.H. will mobilize in the greater Colorado area to help hand out free bars of tiny Dial soap to squirrels. If you are interested in joining in this Holy cause please meet in Denver tomorrow at 3pm.
Thanks,
President
A.E.R.A.H.
haaaaaaaaa! that’s great!
Dave, et al,
This is something we dealt with a lot at NC State. There were hundreds, if not thousands of squirrels, due to the wooded nature of the campus. As a freshman, I was quite taken in. I mean, they’re cute and furry and have those funny high-pitched voices…
…but then I saw someone attacked by a squirrel for the first time. Admittedly, he deserved it. He tried to pick it up by the tail. But let me tell you, those little guys are vicious! It forever changed the way I will think about squirrels for the rest of my life… as did your video. I will never be able to look at a squirrel again without thinking of that video and laughing out loud… unless I look at the squirrel and am immediately attacked, in which case, I probably won’t laugh, but will hide behind my wife.
:0)
-http://weblog.zackweb.net
wretchedmanredeemed,
which are you questioning the existence of…
bad things
good people
or just things in general.
I say yes/no to all.
*wink*
People love squirrels?
y are people writing you essays? haha
that’s the craziest-lookin squirrel i’ve ever seen!
The only thing better than roasted squirrel is… FRIED squirrel!
To PETA:
http://www.threadless.com/product/490/Meat_is_Murder_Tasty_Tasty_Murder
not like those smelly squirrels….squirrels suck!
The more you know
finally.
video is hilarious, thanks for the laugh dave!
i hope squirrel lovers are as passionate for say.. poverty or human abuse as they are about.. squirrels..
dave, you gotta do part 4 =D
i feel so weird having to ask this because it seems like its already common knowledge…why are squirrels clearly a product of the fall?
~a fan
That’s just crazy!
oh wow, why did i read this entry right before going to bed? that picture is so frightening i’m going to have squirrel filled nightmares! it don’t get much worse than that.
lol, i’m with you…squirrels are evil. silly tree huggers.
Personally, I’d rather have the squirrels than the fleas. I’ve heard we don’t have fleas here. I’m not sure if that’s true, but gratefully I’ve never seen or felt a flea bite here. That was NOT true when I lived in California.
I’ve never really had a problem with squirrels.. but then I don’t have plotting squirrels in my neighborhood. LOL
emprise34 – simply, you’re a cool dude. but seriously, you need to check out the twilight sad. is it possible for worship music to sound like this?
Hey guys, I was working in Utah last year at a wilderness program for drug and alcohol addiction. The kids we were leading would always ask us if they could kill rabbits for food and we had to tell them “no” and then explain to them that the rabbits in southern Utah carry bubonic plague. They didn’t believe us.
Note to self, avoid all squirrels in Denver. Mountain lions also.
The Goat
i want to see you guys in new orleans!!!
the squirrells where i live are vicious for absolutely no reason other than to get their kicks by messing with people as they innocently walk to class… so yea, squirrells are evil and hilarious and that video was genius! plus, of course the squirrells werent hurt… those little critters always land on their feet! (…maybe thats just cats… oh well)
squirrels a product of the fall? i don’t think so. i happen to like squirrels, or at least the time who eat nuts, sit in a tree and leave me alone.
The PETA chapter in Waco/Tyler Is planning a protest of UBC
“The PETA chapter in Waco/Tyler Is planning a protest of UBC.”
you aren’t serious.
haha. oh good glory
Yeah, Dave. Regarding squirrels:
Thought 1:. Squirrels own our campus at Sacramento State. Then mysteriously, every semester, they all disappear. The campus has hired squirrelminators, apparently, that rid them from the campus. Then, when the squirrels are gone, I feel sad for them.
Thought 2: I have never known a kind squirrel. They are all over my neighborhood, and particularly like my grandma’s orange trees in the backyard where I live. When we had our old dog Huggy, they used to taunt him by sitting up at the top of the tree chipppering at him as he barked in vain below. Then they threw stuff at him. I don’t know what they were throwing, but it was not nice. And poor Huggy never caught on that they were not intimidated by him.
I would rather be friends with a slow nice animal than a smart mean one.
LC
squirrels are mean?? i had no idea! i have always thought they were cute little animals!
I get it, and I get the squirrel catapult video … if I saw them posted on another blog, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But it’s kind of sad to see all this in a journal for a band who supposedly praises God for the beauty and goodness of His creation. Just surprising, that’s all.
Hey David
Daily Dose here. If you want just a little something to read each day– some wisdom, a laugh, inspiration, etc… check out my profile. It’s a simple way to enjoy 37.3 seconds.
DuGFlash – i checked them out and really, this is so my speed of sound. and why couldn’t music for a corporate setting sound like this? i know no reason.
Well this is one way to get publicity for the dc*b - Heckle and be a ”wise-acre” with PETA. Of course, most worship bands, most Christian bands, don’t look or encourage this kind of publicity -since it usually has a negative impact - but Hey, you want to say “Sorry, but not really” to PETA- Break a leg… Good Luck with that….. CLKnowles
In Sympathy, to David Crowder and the Band, and the students at Liberty University, for the passing this morning of their friend, Reverend Jerry Falwell. Peace and Grace. C.L.Knowles
clknowles – i have never met jerry.
My mistake, I was told that you performed regularly every year at Liberty University and knew Pastor Jerry Falwell. I got bad information – Sorry about that. Thanks for the clarification. CLKnowles
Squirrels are nothing more than rodents with fuzzy tails! We used to have flying squirrels in our house. My husband finally caught one and it bit his hand through a leather glove! They are evil! If all of this were about a sewer rat being slung through the air, would it be that big of a deal? Just like the Casting Crowns song says, “As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children.” We need to get our priorities straight, people.