Tularemia Warning

[RAMOS]

Hey guys, just a heads up on this. The son of a co-worker came down with this recently after hunting sage rats in North Central Oregon (Sherman County). Like most kids and some of us grown ups, he likes to inspect his kills.

Tularemia
Deerfly fever; Rabbit fever; Pahvant Valley plague; Ohara disease; Yato-byo (Japan); Lemming fever
Last reviewed: March 11, 2011.

Tularemia is an infection common in wild rodents that is passed to humans through contact with infected animal tissues or by ticks, biting flies, and mosquitoes.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

Humans can get the disease through:

•A bite from an infected tick, horsefly, or mosquito

•Breathing in infected dirt or plant material

•Direct contact, through a break in the skin, with an infected animal or its dead body (most often a rabbit, muskrat, beaver, or squirrel)

•Eating infected meat (rare)

The disorder most commonly occurs in North America and parts of Europe and Asia. Although outbreaks can occur in the United States, they are rare.

Some people may develop pneumonia after breathing in infected dirt or plant material. This is known to occur on Martha's Vineyard, where bacteria are present in rabbits, raccoons, and skunks.

Francisella tularensis is considered a potential bioterrorism agent. An aerosol release would be a possible method of infection. Pneumonia cases would start 1 - 10 days after people were exposed

He is now on heavy duty antibiotics and under close medical supervision. They were told that the fatality rate if left untreated is 80%. They are pretty sure he will be fine. This may be rare but, obviously it is around here.

[Trent]

Wow! Glad they caught it and are able to treat him. I can be stubborn and sometimes not go to the hospital.

[Rick in Oregon]

Wow! Glad they caught it and are able to treat him. I can be stubborn and sometimes not go to the hospital.

Trent: Yep, glad they caught it in time to help the little guy. Hope he's gonna be okay. That's a lesson for us all. Looks like they named the disease after my old ship....USS Tulare. Must have originated down in Tulare County, CA me guesses.

As for the other (stubborn/hospital)......yeah, me too.......had an epic mountain bike ride in the Newberry Volcano crater for four days last week. Had a vigorous crash when I hooked a tree with my handlebar....went down HARD! Was able to make it back to camp, but it hurts like heck to breathe. Didn't want to go to the hospital (guy), waited till today to go get an x-ray "just in case", and found out I've got two broken ribs. No wonder it hurts to breathe!

Looks like I'll be down again for a spell healin' up. Wish the squirrels were up, it doesn't hurt to shoot......

[Bill K]

darn,those mountain bikes can be so dangerous, like firearms, they should outlaw both Heal fast RIO. Bill K

[RAMOS]

Holy cr*p, Rick! I'll stick with my ultra safe KTM, no distracting pedalling to worry about

[Rick in Oregon]

Ramos: And to think I gave up my Harleys, then my Husky 510 because of a lifetime of crashes and injuries for "safer" mountain bikes about 15 years ago. All was good all that time until last Sunday and the inevitable "big one".

Mountain bikes are great for staying in shape......but.......

Bill K wrote: Heal fast RIO. - Thanks Bill......I'm on it, believe me! Gotta be right for mule deer season.....

[Clint E]

Thats some scary stuff . Hope he makes a full recovery.
Rick i guees now would be the best time to challange you to a foot race. Get healed up terminator .