BUBONIC PLAGUE FOUND IN SQUIRRELS.Byline: Kermit Pattison Daily News Staff Writer Bubonic plague bubonic plague: see plague. bubonic plague ravages Oran, Algeria, where Dr. Rieux perseveres in his humanitarian endeavors. [Fr. Lit.: The Plague] See : Disease has been discovered among rodents in the Ventura County back country, prompting the closure of a rural campground in the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. . Health officials have discovered eight squirrels with the plague in the Wheeler Gorge Campground north of Ojai. There have not been any reports of humans catching the disease. ``I tell people Ventura County is a known plague area,'' said Randy Smith Randy Smith can refer to any of the following people:
County health workers discovered the plague during routine tests earlier this month. Health workers trapped eight ground squirrels whose blood tested positive for plague, Smith said. The bubonic plague - the disease that may have caused the Black Death plagues in Europe and Asia in the Middle Ages - is transmitted to humans by flea bites or handling sick animals. Officials have closed down Wheeler Gorge Campground and launched a series of pest control pest control n → control m de plagas pest control n → lutte f contre les nuisibles pest control pest n measures. Smith said health officials will dust rodent burrows with pesticides and set up feeding stations that cover the animals with flea powder when they come for food. Health officials will check the campground again Thursday and reopen it only if flea counts have dropped. The plague routinely appears in wilderness areas in the county. Smith said county officials plan additional plague tests in other rural areas, including Mount Pinos Mount Pinos is a mountain peak located in the Los Padres National Forest, on the boundary between the California counties of Ventura and Kern. It is the highest point in Ventura county at 8,831 ft (2,692 m). Its latitude and longitude are 34.8128°N and 119.1444°W. , Pine Mountain and Lion's Campground. Blood samples from the trapped rodents will be sent to the University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, and was established as the University Farm in 1905. , and fleas to the state Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
``Plague has been endemic in this county for years and years,'' he said. PLAGUE FACTS Here are tips for avoiding the plague in mountain areas: Avoid contact with chipmunks, squirrels and other wild animals WILD ANIMALS. Animals in a state of nature; animals ferae naturae. Vide Animals; Ferae naturae. in infected areas. Do not camp or rest near animal burrows. Avoid fleas by wearing long pants, socks and shoes. Insect repellents that affect fleas also are effective. Protect pets with flea powders and flea collars or avoid bringing them into plague areas. If you become ill within a week of entering areas where plague has appeared, contact your physician. Report sick and dead animals to Ventura County Environmental Health Division, (805) 654-2816. SOURCE: City of Agoura Hills CAPTION(S): Box Box: Plague Facts (see text) |
|
||||||||||||

Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion