MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

RSOE EDIS – “Residents in the Concho Valley area off of Highway 61 noticed hundreds of prairies dogs had died in a short span of time. Prairie dogs are considered sentinel animals to the fact that plague is in the area. Officials with Arizona Game and Fish were notified by an alert resident and further contact was made with health officials from Apache and Coconino counties, the state health department, as well as experts at Northern Arizona University. NAU is home to the Microbial Genetics and Genomics Center and has been a key player in testing for plague for the past 10 years. The lab sent a team to the area to trap fleas in the prairie dog holes that had recent die-offs. The team’s first visit was on August 27 and results from the lab testing showed positive for plague.” Read more.

Flashback: Colorado: 7-year-old Girl Contracts “Black Death” Bubonic Plague – “A 7-year-old girl is recovering in a Colorado hospital after being diagnosed with the Black Death, scientifically known as the bubonic plague. The parents of 7-year-old Sierra Jane Downing thought she had the flu when she felt sick days after camping in southwest Colorado. When she had a seizure, her father rushed her to the local hospital in Pagosa Springs. The emergency room doctor who saw Sierra Jane for the seizure and a 107-degree fever late Aug. 24 wasn’t sure what was wrong either, and called other hospitals before the girl was flown to Denver. A pediatric doctor racing to save the girl’s life at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children got the first inkling that she had bubonic plague. Dr. Jennifer Snow first suspected the rare disease after factoring in the girl’s symptoms, a history of where she’d been and an online journal’s article on a teen with similar symptoms.” Read more.

Flashback: Plague Confirmed in Oregon Man – “Health officials have confirmed that an Oregon man has the plague after he was bitten while trying to take a dead rodent from the mouth of a stray cat. The unidentified man, who is in his 50s, remained in critical condition Friday at a Bend hospital. His illness marks the fifth case of plague in Oregon since 1995. State public health veterinarian Dr. Emilio DeBess says the man was infected when he was bitten by the stray his family had befriended. The cat died and its body is being sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.” Read more.

Flashback: Friend of Oregon Man Diagnosed With Plague Also Becomes Infected – “An Oregon woman was diagnosed with the bubonic plague, once called “black death,” over the summer and has since recovered. The woman tried to help her friend save the life of a choking cat, health officials said Friday. Her friend Paul Gaylord, also made headlines in June for contracting the rare, dangerous disease. The central Oregon woman, who asked not to be identified, has recovered since contracting the disease in June. She was treated after showing early symptoms.” Read more.

Flashback: California: Campground Squirrel Tests Positive for Plague – “A ground squirrel found at the Cedar Grove Campground on Palomar Mountain recently tested positive for plague, according to County of San Diego vector control officials. The squirrel was trapped during routine monitoring at the campground. Environmental health officials are now warning the public to take precautions to protect themselves from possible exposure to the disease when camping and visiting parks. ‘Set up tents away from squirrel burrows, do not feed the squirrels and warn your children not to play with squirrels,’ said Jack Miller, Director of the Department of Environmental Health.” Read more.