Black Death Discovered In Oregon 404
redletterdave writes "The Black Death, a strain of bubonic plague that destroyed nearly a third of Europe's entire population between 1347 and 1369, has been found in Oregon. Health officials in Portland have confirmed that a man contracted the plague after getting bitten by a cat. The unidentified man, who is currently in his 50s, had tried to pry a dead mouse from a stray cat's mouth on June 2 when the cat attacked him. Days later, fever and sickness drove the man to check himself into Oregon's St. Charles Medical Center, where he is currently in 'critical condition.'"
Darwin in action. (Score:5, Insightful)
Why the hell did he think it was a good idea to try to get the dead mouse away from the cat in the first place?
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
1) existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not domesticated or cultivated; wild.
2) having reverted to the wild state, as from domestication.
3) of or characteristic of wild animals; ferocious; brutal.
All three definitions equate feral with being wild, so what was the point of your pedantic nitpicking again?
Re:stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
The article says it was a cat. Cats, by definition, are not wild. Some of them may be feral, but they are never wild.
Apparently you don't live in Oregon. We have wild cats. We call them cougars or mountain lions and they can fuck your day up. They have been getting a bad rep for pouncing on mountain bikers. http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/cougar/ [state.or.us]
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Obligatory LOLcat ref (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a beautiful world we live in when we have a second spelling and dialect for what we imagine our domesticated companions are telling us... and there are spelling and grammar nazis for that dialect.
Re:2012 strikes again (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:5, Insightful)
500 years is not evolutionarily significant. Biologically, humans have remained almost unchanged from the early days of civilization 10,000 years ago--just ask any anthropologist.
Re:stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
But for most of human history, dogs were working animals, too. The only difference is that they are (usually) too big to be allowed to gather their own food. That would be dangerous (and inconvenient, considering that they are pack hunters). That is the difference: practicality, not biology.
Dogs do go feral. In an area not very far from here there has been a pack of feral dogs, descended from escaped domestic dogs, roaming the mountains for at least 30 years. They have been spotted every few years (it is a very remote place and rough country) but their fate is uncertain now that the wolves have returned. And Dingos are of course another example of formerly-domesticated dogs returning to the wild.
Another interesting example is the domestic ferret. Evidence indicates that they have been domesticated for approximately as long as dogs and cats. And again, for most of human history they were working animals: they were (and still are) used to hunt small game. Not only that, but prior to WWII, right here in the United States, ferrets were also popular farm animals, used for keeping rats, mice, etc. out of the granaries just like cats.
But unlike both dogs and cats, and except in New Zealand (which presented very specific and unusual conditions), ferrets don't go feral. They just don't. It doesn't happen.
Re:2012 strikes again (Score:2, Insightful)
No, must be confirmation bias on your part.
Black Plague is rare, but still happens you just usually don't hear about it because it's treatable with antibiotics and preventable by controlling rodent populations - neither antibiotic treatment nor effective prevention were known in europe during the middle ages.
I'm not sure you are entirely correct. The Black Plague is a particular stain of bubonic disease, or at least a group of stains. Although the bubonic disease is still around (and easily treatable), it is not the same stain. One would expect this news is regarding a different stain than was we "usually" see these days. Otherwise, why would be it news worthy ?
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:2, Insightful)
Jesus christ does no one read the past the first line of posts any more?!?!
Re:Bring out your dead! (Score:5, Insightful)
The most virulent is the pneumonic form. It can kill within days. But it is also relatively rare, even as cases of plague go. Usually it takes somewhat longer.
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:5, Insightful)
BIG disagree.
Medical advances allow the Genetically defective to continue to survive and reproduce. Just 100 years ago this would not have happened.
Just wait to see how fucked up as a species will will be in 500 years.
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:2, Insightful)
You spelled republican wrong.
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:5, Insightful)
The rate of stupid isn't growing. Your exposure to them has. Technology and urbanization have brought people together so that stupidity may be experienced in full 3D as nature intended.
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Darwin in action. (Score:4, Insightful)
This is a 50 year old man who got into a fight with a cat over a dead mouse.
We're not talking about Paul McCartney or Michael Douglas.