NEWS: Black Death In California

Apparently Bubonic plague otherwise known as the "Black Death" has know resurfaced in Southern California for the first time in twenty years. The bacterial infection is being treated with antibiotics. While bubonic plague isn't contagious the article says it can morph into pnuemonic plague which is. The bacteria is transmitted to humans from fleas that have been themselves infected by rodents.



This may be more serious than the article is having us believe. Now I know that the article doesn't identify the patient but it is quite possible that she is an illegal immigrant. I'm not saying that to inflame peoples opinions on the immigration debate but most illegal immigrants are without insurance and some fear being reported to the authorities if they seek medical attention. If this women had waited until she had developed the contagious form of the disease it could spread throughout the immigrant community relatively quickly.

[edit on 19-4-2006 by UM_Gazz]

irregardless of who is infected or why you'd expect even a hint of a black plague outbreak to be front page news. with as many old school virii attacking us as have been this is major news in some respects.

i see nothing in that article to suggest she was an illegal immigrant unless you are implying that being bitten by a flea in your home means you must be illegal. it couldnt possibly be because of the amount of rats in the area - www.nbc4.tv...

it also says nothing about her medical insurance either, but it may suprise you to know that approx 45.8% percent of americans dont have insurance medical www.webmd.com...

you might also want to know that it isnt that rare a disease either. up to 3000 cases worldwide a year are reported and you know whats really scary?... up to 15 of them are from the united states! www.bt.cdc.gov...

How can a disease vanish for years and then all of a sudden re-appear?

Just reminded me of a submission i made on ATSNN a few months back...

Bubonic Plauge Infected Mice Missing From Lab!


Mic

Umm, mickey, did you see the post just above yours?

Actually justyc the link you provided states that 45.8 million americans or about 15% of the population are without insurance. But if you'll due a little bit of research you'll find the that rate doubles with undocumented or illegal immigrants. And if I don't have insurance since I am a citizen I can receive emergency care without fearing any threat of deportation. However many illegals don't have the same confidence (with good reason mind you).

And like I said it was possible she was an illegal immigrant not that I was certain she was but since she wasn't identified I stand by my post that she very well could be. But I might be wrong so if she is later identified as Mrs Sherry Smith or Ms Tiffany Ann Jones I will certainly eat my keyboard.

Actually, there are about 20 cases per-year in the United State's. This to be honest, isn't a real story. It was just another person jumpnig on the "Blame the Illegal" train that seems to stop by ATS every 15 minutes.

Saying that...we should be due for another stop any moment now. Come on ATSNN don't let me down with your high quality reporting.

SourceHealth officials said they suspect the woman was exposed by fleas in her home and that there was no cause for alarm. An estimated 10 to 20 Americans contract plague each year, mostly in rural communities.

It's so hard to check information out before posting. Dirty illegals, next they'll all have the AIDS, cancer will be their fault, terrorism also and the Bubonic Plague. That'd explain it, it wasn't fleas on cats in 1346 and 1351, it was immigratns. Thanks for solving this mystery.

But I might be wrong so if she is later identified as Mrs Sherry Smith or Ms Tiffany Ann Jones I will certainly eat my keyboard.

What does a name have to do with anything? A Smith or a Jones could just have easily been an Illigan Canadian immigrant for all you know...

My gawd, has Faux News and CNN really brainwashed half of ATS to the point where everything and anything wrong with your society is somebody elses fault?

[edit on 20-4-2006 by sardion2000]

Thats right Odium just obscure the issue by posting garbage like that. I make a statement when if you look at the facts it quite possibly turn out to be correct. But instead of disputing the facts you have to call my motives into question. But I have to ask you the question do you know my stance on illegal immigration and how we should resolve the current situation? Do you know me or the many other opinions I hold? But I guess I can't truely blame you for the way you've responded. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't expected that kind of worthless response from someone. So I can't say I'm surprised in the least.

So I'll enlighten you to my opinions on the matter of illegal immigration and any other subject that you wish my council on. I believe if you want to come to the US to work you should be allowed to. If you came here illegally and have not committed a crime of a serious nature against another individual you should be allowed on the path to citizenship. As far as culturally assimilating they all do eventually regardless of were they came from. And I love what latin culture has already brought to the US and can't waited for whats to come.

The disease didn't just suddenly appear. It's always been there, through soil and other means. It's transmitted by fleas which live on a number of animals. What's not common is people getting it these days but it doesn't mean they can't. A few years ago there was a case of a couple visiting their place in NM I believe and went back to New York with the plague. It was discovered that the couple picked up the illness by way of rodents that were trapped on their property.

The plague isn't even scary anymore because it is treatable through medicine whereas the poor souls back in the 14th century didn't have a chance.
There is no conspiracy here!

I wouldn't be surprised if all these resurfacing diseases have been reintroduced intentionally. The perp? There's quite a long list of groups who'd love to see the US wiped out.

Actually Sardion I get most of my news from the BBC world service. Okay point taken if the patient is reveiled to be a illegal immigrant from Canada regardless of the name the same rules apply I will eat my keyboard.

ahh yes, my mistake there, but i still dont see why you feel the need to keep blaming illegals for it.

by the way, will you eat your keyboard with salt & pepper because it looks increasingly likely that she was a good ol american gal - www.newscientist.com...

edit - oh look - some wiki on the area she lives in and most likely contracted it in...en.wikipedia.org...


[edit on 20-4-2006 by justyc]

Well the new scientist article doesn't say anything about were she is from just were she may have contracted the infection and the wikipedia article doesn't add to much weight to your arguement either. As we all know she could be an illegal immigrant from Canada

And I must say I'm not trying to blame anyone I'm just trying to give examples on how having this many people undocumented and in a really disadvantageous position can be dangerous to the society as a whole. Everyday undocumented workers are forced into humiliating and unhuman conditions whether it be a sweat shop or working 12 hours a day picking cherries for less than minimum wage.

I apologize if I'm coming off as a racist but I'm not and if you take time to read some of my other posts on this subject I hope you'll find that as well.

[edit on 20-4-2006 by danwild6]

Bubonic Plague was found to be due to a bacterium called yersinia pestis, named after a 19th century scientist who discovered it and found it was transmitted to humans by rat fleas. Modern plague resembles medieval Black Death in its signs and symptoms (swollen glands, high fever, high morbidity, lung symptoms). Medieval Black Death was believed related to rats. Nowadays people assume the two diseases are the same and that the Black Death was due to rat fleas biting humans. But a TV documentary (can't recall which channel it was on) presented a new theory that the medieval Black Death could not have involved fleas, by circumspectly analyzing certain environmental factors that were studied in the towns that were hit and still have the same buildings today. By correlating such factors they showed that Black Death couldn't have been due to fleas and the two diseases are actually different, although they resemble each other and both may have a connection with rats.

The lady was from So Central LA,not an immigrant her house was rat infested,I believe thats where you get bubonic plaque is from rats and squirrels,I hardly call 1 case an epidemic

i cant seem to get the quote bit working but i think you may be referring to a uk channel 4 program which mentioned the work done at liverpool university mentioned here www.answers.com... and is in this book - www.amazon.com...

[edit on 20-4-2006 by justyc]

I grew up right down the street from Griffith Park. It is a huge park that covers alot of area and is undeveloped. Seeing as how the plague is transferred from rats to fleas and then humans, and is found mostly in rural areas, she could have easily gotten it from fleas in Griffith Park, it is very wild and undeveloped.
As for the chances of her being an immigrant, L.A. is a city of immigrants. There are people from all over the world who live there, as well as many different ethnic groups.
Given the fact that immigrants often bring in foreign diseases with them, it is not ridiculous to think that she may have been an immigrant. Nothing racist about it, it's just facts. So why are so many of you jumping on the person who originated the topic? He/she stated they weren't coming from a racist point of view, so...why so judgmental? Besides, arguing about the intentions of a person is way, way off topic. So can we just stick to discussing the plague?

danwild6, the only facts you are using is that her name has yet to be released. That's not a fact, that is actually common practice when family have not been contacted. You ever notice when a soldier dies they don't release the name till after the family have been contacted the same applies in medical matters. The last thing they need neighbours to panic, family members to panic or sue over the name being given out before they were contacted and so on and so fourth.

The fact the house had fleas is nothing, last check 5% of American Citizens lived in poverty. You have created the idea this person is an immigrant out of thin air and to be completely honest, if she was the papers would be more likely to point that out - they'd not even need a name to go off of. Also how am I distorting it? I've yet to find one article on an immigrant having the illness, but instead all of them mentioning the roughly 20 cases per-year in the United State's.

Furthermore, her family have been placed on drugs to combat the illness. If they were immigrants and illegal ones at that, this would be less likely to happen. Also, not one news report is even suggesting she is an immigrant legal or otherwise. There was no need to bring up the issue and it is more slanted reporting. In fact, after searching the 216 results Yahoo! gives on its newswire immigrant doesn't show once at the moment. So what facts are these?

......Not to be a baby, but i broke the news 3 days ago, and it seemed to be a non-issue. Now all of a sudden, its on ATSNN and its a big deal.

Its nothing! Remember?

That's ok. I have no hard feelings. For those who think i'm a jerk, i'm just kidding.

I thought it was worth posting, after all its been 20 years since it happened.

I also have come to the conclusion that this wont kill us, neither will Iran, i think the comet collision on May 25 will.

Sorry for the
off topic stuff.

Good job!!!!!!


Carry on!