Posted on 05/16/2006 8:52:54 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Utah Campground Closed Because of Plague
Tue May 16, 8:52 AM ET
A campground at Natural Bridges National Monument has been closed because of bubonic plague detected among field mice and chipmunks.
Plague also has been found this spring in rodent populations at Mesa Verde National Park and Colorado National Monument.
National Park Service officials said there never has been a reported human case of bubonic plague originating from the parks or national monuments.
"We come down on the conservative side when it comes to closing campgrounds," said Joe Winkelmaier of the U.S. Public Health Service. "We just like to be sure when it comes to plague."
Several weeks ago, park rangers noticed a large number of dead field mice at Natural Bridges, about 40 miles west of Blanding. Chief Ranger Ralph Jones showed that tests indicated they died from the plague.
Rangers plan to insecticides to kill fleas in the campground area. Humans usually contract bubonic plague after being bitten by fleas that have bitten infected rodents. The campground could be reopened as soon as next week.
Plague occurs throughout the West, but is concentrated in the Four Corners area of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. An average of 18 cases involving humans are reported each year in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in seven victims die.
Until Bush came along....that is.
Also the campgrounds in Arches, Canyonlands (Needles & Island), Capitol Reef, Lake Powell, Dead Horse Point, .....
Natural Bridges is a great place to stay not only in its own right, but also for its close access to L. Powell, Grand Gulch Primitive Area, Hovenweep, and a ton of "hidden" Anasazi ruins that have been intentionally erased from maps for many years now .... But we have a very old map!
(And yes I know that "Anasazi" is now politically incorrect and we're all supposed to say "Ancestral Puebloan" instead. But I don't give a rip. I also still say cryptogamic instead of cryptobiotic. Got a problem with that?)
Six months ago, I took my family to the 4 corners region for a week. It was awesome. Arches Nat. Park in Moab,UT was incredible! And Mesa Verde was breath-taking. (Or was it the elevation?)
The only downer was when the Tour Guide at MV made some crack about Jimmah Carter being the best president during his lifetime. I laughed rather loud, only to discover that he was really series.
Can anyone tell me how can a population that has been dead for hundreds of years, have a problem with what they are being called today? I really don't think that I understand "pc", not that I give a sh!t.
Good thing I just have to be concerned about
West Nile Virus in Michigan.
That wuold only make me laugh louder!
The Bubonic Plague spread like wildfire in 1665 after cities embarked on massive rodent extermination programs. The plague-laden fleas ran out of hosts and turned to humans for food and housing.
Apparently, our National Parks did well under Jimmah.
I venture to say that most MV visitors trend to the right. How could they not being surrounded by UT,NM,AZ,and CO.
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