News articles about the spread of the Bubonic Plague in Arizona:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2017/08/10/z-fleas-flagstaff-area-test-positive-plague/556923001/
https://ktar.com/story/1690311/plague-carrying-fleas-found-northern-arizona/
https://www.dcourier.com/news/2017/aug/13/fleas-carrying-plague-found-2nd-arizona-county/
http://www.wmicentral.com/news/apache_county/report-bubonic-plague-in-prairie-dogs-spreads-to-old-concho/article_82afccd4-ad86-5cce-8109-c578ed0f40d0.html
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The Bubonic Plague has been sweeping North East Arizona more predominantly in Arizona Counties than is being reported.
EXAMPLE: Six years ago the Plague wiped out the Prairie Dog population in the Saint Johns, Apache County, Arizona area. A resurgence of the Plague in 2016 and 2017, East of Saint Johns swept across the area wiping out most of the Rabbit; Prairie Dog; Ring Tail Rat; and Coyote populations. Even the Crow and Hawk populations have been significantly reduced from their eating infected or dead rodents and being exposed to the flees they are carrying thus contracting the disease. The same Plague effects are virulently in place as of this summer of 2017.
I became aware of this circumstance last year not from reading a press report, but by direct impact of the Plague. I live 10-miles East of Saint Johns. I had eight dogs, the kids I raised since birth. The children, grand children, and Great grand children of my old-timer Beasty Beast who was born in Prescott, AZ back in 1993.
In July of 2016, I noticed one of my pups breathing very fast and stressed 24/7 for over a week and his condition was deteriorating, not improving. He stopped eating and even drinking water. I then called several vets to attempt to get him an appointment. Plague did not even cross my mind as to the ailment effecting him.
As I was on the phone with a veterinarian, he walked past me, laid on the dog bed I had in the bedroom, let out the howl of death, and died. His heart gave out. I buried him the following day.
GUY:
Before I buried him, I noticed several circular spots on his chest and stomach where the skin and fur had just "evaporated" and left the flesh showing. There were two three-inch circles where the skin was still present but completely black. I touched them and the skin dissolved breaking apart as if thin tissue paper now leaving the flesh exposed as the others circular lesions that had already exposed the flesh.
To say the least, I went into high-drive based on what I observed and how fast this disease killed my dog in eight-days from first symptoms till death.
What I found out after extensive research over the next two-days was the symptoms shown was that my dog died of pneumonic Bubonic plague. This occurs after the dog is bitten by an infected flee. From the bite location the infection spreads (those circular lesions) and then spreads throughout the body and after infecting the lungs causes labored breathing, and shortly after, death.
After looking at the CDC's Plague Map, it showed North East Arizona and New Mexico as "Hot Spots" for "human deaths" from the plague. Pet deaths were not monitored on the CDC's Map only human deaths - https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html (The CDC has not updated this map in over 5-years and NEEDS to update it now in 2017)
To my amazement and dismay, I thought the Plague was eradicated over a hundred years ago but found out it was alive and well rapidly spreading across the western USA. I immediately sprayed my home and remaining seven dogs with a good dose of flee spray for the next two weeks.
I bring forward also that at the same time I noticed the entire rabbit and field rat population disappeared, nil, none over that two week period. The plague had swept through and killed them all.
I note a month before this event happened, I happened upon a mouse I had never seen before. It was a small mouse that had VERY big ears, taller than its body. It caught my interest and I Google image searched to identify it.
Well, I identified it as a Mongolian mouse. A type of mouse that made it to the USA in the mid 1900's and has been proliferating itself westward starting in Texas / Colorado and as time went by across to AZ, NV, NM, and CA. The Plague started in Mongolia close to 2000-years ago and it was noted in bold per this mouse, that the mouse was known to CARRY THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.
This type of mouse had become immune to the effects of the Plague but maintained as a carrier of the Plague spreading it wherever it went. A flea would bite the mouse and then being now infected, would spread the Plague to all other creatures the infected fee(s) bit. Those other creatures though, not being immune would rapidly die as my one dog Guy did.
Now being informed as to this dire danger, I researched the medication to cure the Plague if contracted. I note the Plague if contracted and not treated has an 93% fatality rate in humans and pets. The cure centered around Tetracycline derivatives. The most effective it appeared in curing the Plague was Doxycycline.
Being that the Plague is sweeping this area still in 2017, I secured 400 - 100mg tablets of Doxycycline for my remaining seven pups and myself. Additionally, I have a good backup of flee spray. I also called my neighbors and warned them of this Plague threat.
Sadly I found out two of my neighbors lost one of their dogs to the same symptoms. The vets they brought their dogs to, their dogs were exhibiting this symptom of fast and labored breathing and the vets did not test for the Bubonic Plague and the dogs expired quickly.
This is a REAL danger folks and the reports (and extensive spread) of the plague should be taken very seriously. If not diagnosed in humans, the individual will appear to have died from Pneumonia like symptoms.
Based on the spread of this disease the Plague, testing needs to be done if symptoms are exhibited in your pet, or self. If diagnosed and treated, recovery from the Plague is very good. If not diagnosed and treated with a tetracycline derivative, death is imminent.
The press needs to immediately inform the public as to the reality and "extent" of this circumstance the public is being exposed to. Suppression of this reality can only lead to lethal consequences for humans and pets.
Walter J. Burien - CAFR1
Saint Johns, Apache County, Arizona
Tel. (928) 458-5854