Ebola

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

I always thought that natural selection and population resistance had something to do with it, in addition to basic hygiene and city planning. Several major rounds of plague destroyed pretty large portions of the population in some cases. In the middle ages, a major bout wiped out more than a third of the European population. Isn't that classic Darwinism?

Also, it's a bacterial infection, so several antibiotics are effective treatment against it, no?

Well, I don't know much about the history of diseases/viruses as far as how many civilizations were wiped out because of it. However, I do know that under some circumstances, diseases change little in their virulence or even get worse. Moreover, some, like bubonic plague, appear to oscillate in virulence.

Yep. It's caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which infects many animals, especially rodents. From these it can be transmitted to humans (and their cats and dogs) by fleas.

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Yep. It's caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which infects many animals, especially rodents. From these it can be transmitted to humans (and their cats and dogs) by fleas.

What I don't understand is why would fleas leave the shelter of the fur/hairs on furry animals such as rats to venture onto the exposed surface of the relatively hairless, like people? I remember when I was a kid, our dog had fleas, and not only were they biting the dog, they were biting the hell out of us, too. That is until we eliminated them.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

What I don't understand is why would fleas leave the shelter of the fur/hairs on furry animals such as rats to venture onto the exposed surface of the relatively hairless, like people? I remember when I was a kid, our dog had fleas, and not only were they biting the dog, they were biting the hell out of us, too. That is until we eliminated them.

lol
That's because there are different kinds/species of fleas. Some will bite both people and the dog or cat. However, a lot of times with fleas, it's not through choice. Fleas come in distinct varieties and tend to stay with the animal they are adapted to. So, when rats or mice die of plague, their fleas leave and look for new animals to infest. Rat fleas cannot actually survive for long on humans -- our blood doesn't supply the correct balance of nutrients. But one bite is enough to transmit plague.

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

lol
That's because there are different kinds/species of fleas. Some will bite both people and the dog or cat. However, a lot of times with fleas, it's not through choice. Fleas come in distinct varieties and tend to stay with the animal they are adapted to. So, when rats or mice die of plague, their fleas leave and look for new animals to infest. Rat fleas cannot actually survive for long on humans -- our blood doesn't supply the correct balance of nutrients. But one bite is enough to transmit plague.

I had no idea there was a difference. Since there is, then how do you know which species of fleas are which? If there are several different species of fleas, all having their own preferences of who or what to live and feed on, isn't that hard to keep up with?