bodldops | (no subject)

(no subject)

Short version of day thus far:

Midol + Peppermint mocha = very awake ow. >.> Bugger.

Also, the class prez has decided the best way to fix the schedule woes that have popped up in the last couple days is to start tomorrow at 8am. So. Guess I don't get tomorrow off like the schedule has been promising for weeks.

More bugger.

But! Y. pestis lecture today. And here I thought the Anthrax lecture was the best ever. That was fun. I'm gonna miss Bacteriology.

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It says something about me, although I'm not quite sure what, that I saw the last line of this post and BEAMED.

Seriously. Mental reaction was along the lines of "study, study study -- Yersinia pestis?!? That's fun to study!"

*head in hands, laughing*

*snickers* If that's a problem, then I'm dooooooomed. Is it bad I was thinking 'ooooh, TARDIS trip to the 1300's' when he was talking about the three major plague pandemics? >.>

I wish you could see my SHINY EYES OF GLEE. *laughing again*

Have I ever mentioned that I've done two projects on this particular bug? One a general report on history and method of infection, transmission, etc. -- and another an epidemiological analysis of current status here in the US.

Oooooooooooh. *gets evil ideas*

I was very interested about the part about the difference between bubonic plague and pneumonic plague - the stuff I read in high school and undergrad completely failed to differentiate the two phases. ... Kinda important, that. Like you can handle a cat with one without too much fear of transmission, but you might want some serious biohazard gear with the other. *eyerolls at textbook makers*

Er, yes, rather. I will have to dig out that second project, but of the mortalities these days in the States, there was a disproportionately high number among vets who treated pets -- predominantly cats, as you've observed -- with the pneumonic form rather than another form.

Even though my own cat can't possibly be exposed, give that she's indoors-only etc. and has no contact with rodents and/or fleas -- I STILL twitch when she sneezes.

*snerk* This goes on the list of 'things I'm glad I didn't know while working in the shelter'. I would have freaked out at every case of a feline upper respiratory infection. Oh, the fun of knowing just enough to be dangerous. :D

Ayep. Especially since you and I each live in one of the states where plague is endemic, last I heard, anyway.

MMWR 2006 report.

*nods* It's believed San Francisco was the original port of entry, and I know it is still endemic in the Tahoe region, which is only two hours away.

Clearly the moral of this story is that you shouldn't take Diego out in the Tahoe region to chase rodents. :)

No known cases of flea-to-dog transmission: Don't take Diego out to the Tahoe region to chase rodents without a hefty dose of advantage on the both of us. And don't take Martha period.

Hm. *studies that MMWR report again carefully*

Still, that sounds like a good plan. No fleas! Period. And no rabbits.

*shrugs* That's what the prof said, anyway. If there's a report to the contrary I'll take it to him, gleefully. Probably in front of the whole class. His reactions are great.

But yes.

Death to fleas.

And ticks, because they are creepy and ew and carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. *nods*

YES. I hate ticks so very much. I am practically irrational to the point of phobia in my dislike for them, based on past experience -- you've heard that story, though, right?

*headtilt* No?

Aha. Short form, then:

12-year-old Aspen went out picking blackberries in a thicket. 12-year-old Aspen also had very long, thick hair, quite sufficient to hide a seed tick.

Two days later it was large enough to find while I was combing my hair. Parents tried using nail polish to smother it so it'd let go before my mom got exasperated and burned it off with a cigarette. It's a fairly vivid memory, believe me.

Now, Aspen + ticks = AUGH NO NO NO.

Short version of reply: EW.

Long version: EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Thank you.

Welcome. And I quite agree. Do I ever.

Long reply with director's cuts: EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW KILLITWITHFIRE EXTERMINATEALLCRAWLIES EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Once a setter came into the shelter with ticks. No one managed to tell me this, as they 'killed' all the ticks before I came into work.

In this case, 'killed' means 'removed and thrown into the garbage'. You could hear me shrieking a mile away when I found one crawling about on my arm during lunch break.

...

That one died.

AUGH AUGH AUGH.

*coughs, clears throat*

AUGH.

Right. Yes. I am reminded of a time that I went hiking in the Minnesota woods. I practically bathed in insect repellent before I set foot out of the car, which happy chance did keep the ticks from biting.

It did not, however, keep them from looking for a place to bite. Ticks. Crawling. Everywhere.

I still don't know how I managed to keep from screaming.

EW

That is all.

I'd still be screaming.

It was a very near thing. Very near.

(I know there are ticks in this state as well. Some stupidly high number of species. But I have NEVER SEEN ONE here in the 11 years I've lived here and gone hiking and camping and all, and I am FINE WITH THAT. I use repellent, o'course -- and altitude and dryness are glorious, glorious things.)

*nods* I know they are here too, but other than the one time with that dog... and a cat that came in, that was gross, but other than that, I've never seen one here.

*knocks on wood*

Also?

Frontline, Advantage, and Advantix.

*nods fervently*

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