Oh, Cuddly Furry Squirrels!

By Author: Steven Johnson
Total Articles: 494
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One of the really great things about cartoons is how adorable they make smaller animals. Chipmunks, mice and canaries are forever doomed to be cute. Even Pepe Le Pew did wonders for the rep of skunks (at least the French branch of the family). It's hard to say why this should be. Most of them are pests and animators really should know better. But, given a choice of the animal kingdom, small children are expected to keel over in a sentimental mush at the idea of picking one of these creatures up and giving it a hug. They are given a starring role and Toys R Us gets filled up with the stuffed furry character from the latest movie (that or you get a plastic replica with your burger).

Perhaps the animators should leave their air-conditioned offices and walk out into the Californian countryside for the inspiration for their next blockbuster. Did you see the news out of the Angeles National Forest over the last weekend? On a regular basis, the Rangers trap squirrels and other rodents. They take samples and send them off for testing. About two weeks ago these dedicated public servants caught a squirrel wandering around the Los ...
... Alamos Campsite. The results of the test just came back. This cuddly creature was carrying the plague. Needless to say, our Rangers have closed down the campsite and quarantined the area.

So let's get technical. You all remember those boring history classes in school. Europe and the Black Death, Bubonic Plague and lots of people dying in the Middle Ages. That seemed all so yesterday, something to doze through and remember for the sake of passing the test. But the plague is very real and it's alive and well and living in California. That said, the closure of the forest site is preventative. Keeping people away, reduces the risk. The plague is spread when we are bitten by the fleas carried by rodents and cuddly small mammals. So if one of your children touches a squirrel or lies on the grass near a tree or burrow, fleas can jump on to feed. One of the problems is that the symptoms don't show for between 2 and 10 days, so you could be miles away before you realize. Then it's a quick dose of Doxycycline. For maximum effect, you should take this antibiotic within the first 24 hours of the symptoms appearing. If there's a delay, the death rate exceeds 50%. Reassuring, huh!

Keeping this article real, actual cases of the plague in the US are rare. It's found in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. All hospitals and clinics in the country areas hold stocks of Doxycycline ready for immediate treatment. But there are only a few cases and, in the last 20 years, there have been no deaths. That's down to the effectiveness of Doxycycline. But don't mistake the seriousness of this. The Rangers do not close off a part of the forested areas including campsites without a very good reason. So, if you and the family are camping, avoid squirrels and chipmunks. No matter how cute you may think they look, their fleas have a potentially fatal bite. For older couples, no outside recreational activities on the grass where fallen fleas may be waiting for new hosts. It's not worth the risk.