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comment by kleinbl00
kleinbl00  ·  1587 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Real Reason to Panic About China’s Plague Outbreak

Fer sure. You didn't grow up with a healthy fear of squirrels:

    In New Mexico, of approximately 105 species of fleas, 33 have been found plague­infected. This does not mean they are all equally capable of transmitting the disease. The rock squirrel flea,Oropsylla montana, is the most important plague vector in New Mexico in terms of transmission to humans. The common dog and cat fleas do not transmit plague; however, dogs and cats can transport rodent fleas into the home environment.

Call it "dirty bomb syndrome" - we're most afraid of what we don't understand. The first time someone releases radioisotopes over a major metropolis people will freak the fuck out. The second time? People will realize that they get more background radiation from a flight to Vegas than they do from sharing a room with a gram of uranium.