Good news about the Black Death

[Setzer]

http://www.livescience.com/15826-black- ... tinct.html

There's a good chance that particular strain of the ailment is extinct. A study by scientists indicates the bacteria that killed a third of Europe is now gone. Hopefully, its modern derivatives will go the same way soon.

[TeufelIV]

That is good. Now what about the other strains and possible mutations?

[Setzer]

Still out there unfortunately. But we've outlasted one strain, we can send the others the way of smallpox or polio.

[Metahive]

The actual achievement here is that they finally identified the germ that led to the Black Death in the first place. So it was a strain of good 'ol Yersinia Pestis after all.

[Sela]

I thought we've known about the relationship between Buboes, Bubonic/Pneumonic Plague, Yersinia Pestis, and Black Death for a long time now?

[Chardok]

I've never met a disease that could not be sufficiently controlled/eradicated by an appropriate application of fire.

[Sela]

Pyrophobia?

I take it back- that probably actually could be .

[ArmorPierce]

How long has it been extinct? I can't open that page for some reason but another article I read seemed to be implying that the black plague has been extinct for a long time, since before antibiotics were created.

[The Kernel]

I've never met a disease that could not be sufficiently controlled/eradicated by an appropriate application of fire.

I'd like to introduce you to our good friend Prion Diseases. Be afraid.

[Guardsman Bass]

I thought we've known about the relationship between Buboes, Bubonic/Pneumonic Plague, Yersinia Pestis, and Black Death for a long time now?

They've strongly suspected that it was Yersinia Pestis for a long time, but there have always been competing theories claiming that it was some other disease (one of the biggest ones was claiming that it was a form of anthrax).

[Sea Skimmer]

It seems like a big contradictory leap to simultaneously be identifying a disease and declare it extinct. Plus like the article says, its a small sample and they cannot account for all deaths. Anyway, personally I always figured, its only logical that even if just one disease started the plague, almost surely the shear weight of dead bodies it created led to massive outbreaks of secondary diseases that killed many more. Sanitation being what it was its a bit amazing that people survived at all in that period.

[CJvR]

Still out there unfortunately. But we've outlasted one strain, we can send the others the way of smallpox or polio.

Polio is making a comeback thanks to some stinking mullahs in Africa, we had it on the ropes but human stupidity is limitless.

[Chardok]

I've never met a disease that could not be sufficiently controlled/eradicated by an appropriate application of fire.

I'd like to introduce you to our good friend Prion Diseases. Be afraid.

Do these in sequential order. You must do them in sequence. Stopping to evaluate the current conditions after application of previous step, of course.

1.find animals infected with disease.

Then:
2. apply fire to animals.

If insufficient
3. apply fire to environments where disease lives.

if insufficient
4. apply fire to planet until no place left for disease to live.

[StarSword]

Still out there unfortunately. But we've outlasted one strain, we can send the others the way of smallpox or polio.

Polio is making a comeback thanks to some stinking mullahs in Africa, we had it on the ropes but human stupidity is limitless.

Hell, the vaccine-autism thing (pet peeve, sorry) is starting to cause such near-eradicated childhood diseases as measles and diphtheria to come back in the States. I think PBS did a Frontline episode on it a couple years ago. One line that stuck in my head (don't remember if it was a PBS show or an article in Wired) was that it's no longer a case of "Is this going to stop when kids start getting sick?" Now it's a case of, "Is this going to stop when kids start dying?"