Apr 10, 2020 07:45 AM
(This post was last modified: Apr 10, 2020 08:19 AM by C C.)
https://www.livescience.com/cougars-plag...stone.html
INTRO: The plague is notorious for killing tens of millions of people throughout history, but a new study has revealed that the deadly bacteria is now infecting an entirely different victim: Cougars living in the greater Yellowstone area. Researchers tested 28 cougars (also known as pumas or mountain lions) for the disease, and found that nearly half had been exposed to the plague (Yersinia pestis).
However, because cougars usually don't go near humans, these big cats are unlikely to get anyone sick. "The average person has essentially zero possibility of contracting plague from a mountain lion," study lead researcher Mark Elbroch, puma program director for Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, told Live Science in an email. "So please, do not read into our results as a reason to fear mountain lions." (MORE)
INTRO: The plague is notorious for killing tens of millions of people throughout history, but a new study has revealed that the deadly bacteria is now infecting an entirely different victim: Cougars living in the greater Yellowstone area. Researchers tested 28 cougars (also known as pumas or mountain lions) for the disease, and found that nearly half had been exposed to the plague (Yersinia pestis).
However, because cougars usually don't go near humans, these big cats are unlikely to get anyone sick. "The average person has essentially zero possibility of contracting plague from a mountain lion," study lead researcher Mark Elbroch, puma program director for Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, told Live Science in an email. "So please, do not read into our results as a reason to fear mountain lions." (MORE)