Plague Kills Scientist in First Laboratory Case in 50 Years

Plague Kills Scientist in First Laboratory Case in 50 Years

www.bloomberg.com

A Chicago scientist died of the plague after becoming the first U.S. researcher to contract the disease in more than 50 years, a government report said.

The man, a 60-year-old university researcher who wasn’t identified in the report, was working with a weakened form of the plague bacterium that was previously thought to be harmless to humans. The case occurred in September 2009 and was described today in a report by the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The University of Chicago previously identified the man as Malcolm Casadaban, a professor of molecular gene

(visit the link for the full news article)

To be honest, I'm not really sure what to think of this story. It could be that it's just what it appears to be.

But the cynic in me is curious as to why this is being released after 2 years. I'm also thinking it's convenient that he had this hereditary condition that they just happened to have tested for in rats by injecting them with iron.

If only 10 percent of those who contract this die, and he was working with a "weakened" form, you would think his chances might have been better.

What do you folks think?

www.bloomberg.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Klassified


The plague nearly destroyed Western civilization during medieval times. A horrible, agonizing death greeted nearly 1/3 the population of Europe.

If anything, shouldn't scientists be working to ERADICATE this threat, rather than study it?

I hope someone isn't trying to create a newer, more effecient strain.

My condolences to this researchers family.

reply to post by Dreine


But how do they find out how to eradicate it if they don't study it?

reply to post by ScorpioRising


Personal hygiene, rodent and flea control all seem to work extremely well at containing the spread of the plague, and as a bacteria it will die with time. This batch was probably grown at the university to be studied, I would guess.

reply to post by Dreine


Bacterial infections can be cured (usually) with anti-biotics and since bacteria has an amazingly ability to survive the harshest conditions then it would be safe to at least try and find a cure as well as prevention.

Originally posted by ScorpioRising
reply to post by Dreine

 

Bacterial infections can be cured (usually) with anti-biotics and since bacteria has an amazingly ability to survive the harshest conditions then it would be safe to at least try and find a cure as well as prevention.

Which is why i find it surprising that he actually died.
Still though, a few people still die in the US each year from the plague..

reply to post by Animatrix

During the 20th century, this infectious bacteria was used by some countries to do research on and perpetrate biological warfare. In December 2003, Dr. Thomas C. Butler, a respected authority on infectious diseases and organisms at Texas Tech University, was convicted of illegally possessing samples of Yersinia pestis. He was accused and later convicted of lying about the plague bacteria whereabouts. To this day, the FBI has not recovered the samples in question.

An interesting side note to the article from here.

reply to post by Animatrix


Yes you would have thought they might have something to help him but then again if they haven't found a fully safe cure yet then I guess its viable that he would die after contact with it. Even if it's milder than the traditional plague it'll still be quite nasty I imagine. Poor bloke.

Most people think that the Plague is no more. This is just not true. Here in Calif a lot of the squirrels have the plague. Just do a web search on "plague squirrel" and you will see that it is around a lot in these parts. Stay away from the wild rodents and their fleas.

Karma.. Thats what happens when people try to modify nature... Sounds like theyre modifying yet another virus for weapons use... And he got careless in the lab..

reply to post by remembering

Thanks. I didn't know about that. According to the article, about 2000 people a year still get infected worldwide.

reply to post by Klassified


It does still exist,and sometimes kills folks in the third world,which is sad as modern antibiotics usually make you better I think.
One of my college tutors caught it back in the 80s and survived with antibiotics.
Nasty though-I bet getting told you have the plague would noy help a patient psychologically.
Probably better if the doc says you have a virus...

The Mayo Clinic's website has a section on the bubonic plague and ehow.co has a great how to treat the plague section (for some reason very hilarious to me).

Apparently it can be very successfully treated with antibiotics and untreated has about a 50% survival rate. Outside of the 10% death rate quoted in this article I couldn't find any other numbers I would regard as credible for the survival rate with treatment.

So with the researchers age and preexisting iron condition I suppose it isn't completely outside the realm of possibility that this could be nothing more than that exception where a weakened strain could have potentially effected a person extra susceptible... Talk about a poor match for his choice of career!

But then again microbiologists have a bad habit of dieing under not so nice circumstances...

reply to post by Jinglelord

And scientists from other fields too. I'm not pro Steve Quayle, but his list of "dead scientists" is interesting.

Dead Scientists...

reply to post by remembering


Wow! I did a search and I amazed at how many parks & campgrounds are shut down in CA because of plague squirrels. I never knew any of that. Next time I will think twice when I see the cute little fuzzy guys in my yard. and its not just squirrels, chipmunks & prairie dogs too! thanks for adding this info. Its fascinating!

reply to post by Klassified


It's Steve Quayle who first made me look up the whole microbiologist phenomena. Even a broken clock is right twice a day,right? His list is impressive and most of them can be independently verified. I do think it is awfully strange and I don't really believe in coincidence. So what in the heck is going on?

Perhaps this is another microbiologist falling prey to whatever or whoever is trying to get rid of a certain knowledge?

reply to post by Jinglelord

It seems like once certain scientists make a breakthrough, or out live their usefulness, they die mysteriously. Although it may look like a normal death to the casual observer. But I'm quite cynical, so I would see something like that in it.

Remember few years ago, in 2008? some mce infected with plague in arizona or new mexico labratory, escaped and were never found? months rolled by and 4 people were isolated carrying plauge..remember that? i belive they were in the same geogrphical area as the labs and escaped mice* CDC addmited it!!!
i sa many documetarys on plague..LOVE learning about this stuff! did you know, in those days, an army was attacking a caslte england or france..they were catapulting plague inffected bodys over the walls! the earliest documented case of biological warfare .... VERY interesting.
plague is treatable, as long as its caught early..but like rabbies once it sets in..game over. the plague of europe, to me, taught me, was when people started burying the dead in caskets..hence forth how christianity and catholicism use caskets today. Burying people ontop of eachohter, under a few fret of dirt, in time, they realized did not help stop the spread it. it also brought forth, the technological age..he age of machines made of wood and/or metal to do work for people.

reply to post by ziggy1706

I thought the ancient Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans, were also noted for their use of "biological warfare"? And chemical too, I think.

Anyway, I do remember reading something along the order of what you're talking about. I'll have to look that up.
Thanks.