Media.........Interesting News! Interesting Letters!

[LMNO]

Phelps' Group Protests At Soldier's Funeral

Holy shit, that's amazing.  You can't make this stuff up.

[Irreverend Hugh, KSC]

Phelps' Group Protests At Soldier's Funeral

Holy shit, that's amazing.  You can't make this stuff up.

Phelp's is still alive. Damn.

[gnimbley]

Mice Infected With Bubonic Plague Missing
Sep 15 1:04 PM US/Eastern

NEWARK, N.J.

Three mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague apparently disappeared from a laboratory about two weeks ago, and authorities launched a search though health experts said there was scant public risk.

The mice were unaccounted-for at the Public Health Research Institute, which is on the campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and conducts bioterrorism research for the federal government.

Federal official said the mice may never be accounted for. Among other things, the rodents may have been stolen, eaten by other lab animals or just misplaced in a paperwork error.

If the mice got outside the lab, they would have already died from the disease, state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said.

The possibility of theft prompted the institute to interrogate two dozen of its employees and conduct lie detector tests, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Thursday.

The FBI said it was investigating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also investigating, the newspaper reported.

University officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday morning.

The mice were injected as part of an inoculation and vaccination experiment, investigators said.

Health officials say 10 to 20 people in the United States contract plague each year, usually through infected fleas or rodents. It can be treated with antibiotics, but about one in seven U.S. cases is fatal. Bubonic plague is not contagious, but left untreated it can transform into pneumonic plague, which can be spread from person to person.

The incident came as federal authorities investigate possible corruption in the school's finances. The FBI is reviewing political donations and millions of dollars in no-bid contracts awarded to politically connected firms.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

WOOOHOOOO!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Mice Infected With Bubonic Plague Missing
Sep 15 1:04 PM US/Eastern

NEWARK, N.J.

Three mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague apparently disappeared from a laboratory about two weeks ago, and authorities launched a search though health experts said there was scant public risk.

The mice were unaccounted-for at the Public Health Research Institute, which is on the campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and conducts bioterrorism research for the federal government.

Federal official said the mice may never be accounted for. Among other things, the rodents may have been stolen, eaten by other lab animals or just misplaced in a paperwork error.

If the mice got outside the lab, they would have already died from the disease, state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said.

The possibility of theft prompted the institute to interrogate two dozen of its employees and conduct lie detector tests, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Thursday.

The FBI said it was investigating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also investigating, the newspaper reported.

University officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday morning.

The mice were injected as part of an inoculation and vaccination experiment, investigators said.

Health officials say 10 to 20 people in the United States contract plague each year, usually through infected fleas or rodents. It can be treated with antibiotics, but about one in seven U.S. cases is fatal. Bubonic plague is not contagious, but left untreated it can transform into pneumonic plague, which can be spread from person to person.

The incident came as federal authorities investigate possible corruption in the school's finances. The FBI is reviewing political donations and millions of dollars in no-bid contracts awarded to politically connected firms.

TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT'S 1347!
\

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

I need to get one of those ridiculous costumes with the giant noses.

[Eldora, Oracle of Alchemy]

If the mice got outside the lab, they would have already died from the disease, state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said.

I guess they forgot the part where fleas go from infected animals to non infected animals.  And spread the disease.  Animals includes people in this instance, I don't care what the fundies say about evolution.  Also, how many rats and mice in New Jersey, how fast could this spread to New York City?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

If the mice got outside the lab, they would have already died from the disease, state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said.

I guess they forgot the part where fleas go from infected animals to non infected animals.  And spread the disease.  Animals includes people in this instance, I don't care what the fundies say about evolution.  Also, how many rats and mice in New Jersey, how fast could this spread to New York City?

The fleas don't like people...until there aren't enough rats to go around.

The rats, of course, are not immune to the disease.  One symptom they show is "dancing"; spasmodically jumping around, about 12 hours before death.

This is the point where the fleas start looking for alternate hosts (people, for example), as the fleas are the "stable population" for yersinia pestis (meaning they don't die from it, like bats/rabies).

Once the plague moves into the human population, it moves to the far more contagious (though not QUITE as deadly) pnuemonic plague, which doesn't require fleas to spread (it spreads on water droplets...spittle from coughing, for example).

Time for transfer to NYC from Newark?  Totally random.  1 day?  1 year?  Never?

Lastly, due to modern hygene, it wouldn't necessairly be as deadly these days.  Black plague exists in 14 states (in the Southwest), but only kills a few people per year.

[Eldora, Oracle of Alchemy]

My hubby has been vaccinated against it, but I have no idea how long those are good for.  Plus, we haven't been killing hundreads of cats lately.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

My hubby has been vaccinated against it, but I have no idea how long those are good for.  Plus, we haven't been killing hundreads of cats lately.

24 months.  We had to get vaccinated every 18 months in the army (which is a run of 4 shots over a 4 week period).

And cats carry fleas, too.

[Eldora, Oracle of Alchemy]

My hubby has been vaccinated against it, but I have no idea how long those are good for.  Plus, we haven't been killing hundreads of cats lately.

24 months.  We had to get vaccinated every 18 months in the army (which is a run of 4 shots over a 4 week period).

And cats carry fleas, too.

My cats are indoor cats.  Well, most of the time.  When they aren't freaking out for no reason and running through the screen.  That reminds me, I need to get flea bath and flea collars cuz they both ended up outside last night.  

My hubby was vaccinated against so many things so many times.  One time, they gave him a vaccine that had penicillin in it, which he is allergic to, and he told them, and he ended up in the hospital. Idiots

[LMNO]

I need to get one of those ridiculous costumes with the giant noses.

Your wish, my command.






A friend of mine made a really creepy halloween costume based on this.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

MOM???

[LMNO]

Ok, you know that old canard about how kids who dance and compete musically are less prone to violence?  That whole "in the 80s, there was no gang violence, they used to breakdance to decide who's better"?

Well, no more.

[ataraxia]

I need to get one of those ridiculous costumes with the giant noses.

Your wish, my command.






A friend of mine made a really creepy halloween costume based on this.

OMG teh SHRANDER!!!!