On a different topic. Professionally it has been busy of course. Yes, before end of business Tuesday the CDC contacted Human Health Professionals to be sensitive to atypical disease or patterns of disease prevalence. The same message was basically sent to those of us on the Animal Health side of the equation. There is the perception of a higher level of risk in view of the events Tuesday. No one here is panicky or"high tailing" (sidebar: when a horse is excited it will fold its tail over its back). These actions are only being smart and practical

http://www.smartgroups.com/message/viewdiscussion.cfm?gid=743906&messageid=7260

Poster works with NAHEMS (poster handle jmreed on smartgroups)

http://www.smartgroups.com/message/viewdiscussion.cfm?gid=743906&messageid=6501

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Answers

Would this have to do with rats?

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Hi Maggie

I've been following the fmdnew discussion quite closely..Someone posted a comment about a CDC caution.. The poster above who works with NAHEMS.. chimed in as she often does when she has pertinent info and with the apparent intent to quell rumours and avoid panic.

At the second link, June explains her role (in general terms) with NAHEMS..(including working with FEMA) ..

I suspect that it was just as she says, a prudent caution. One could speculate all sorts of things.. including that the terrorists had some sort of bio-agent on board i guess... The emergency folks need to try to anticipate all contingencies.. That's basically their job

All the Best


-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Thanks Brent for the post and response to my question. I guess the reason I ask about the rats, is because of a discussion I had with friend who had lived in New York and the poster having to do with animals. Please keep us up to date, thanks.

Maggie

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Here's the NAHEMS link

http://www.usaha.org/NAHEMS/

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

Here I go again, trying to divine the Islamic extremist terrorist mind. They love to outfox people. Here we are, worrying about biological or chemical attacks (including myself) and checking on things like the Hoover Dam.

How many of us would have believed they could hijack huge passenger arilines, fly them into buildings, and create carnage the likes of which have never been seen in this country? Only a handful. So I'm thinking their next symbolic gesture--and it is prudent to think there will be one--will also be something pretty near unimaginable.

They may wait until we have commenced some action against them. I do know that Arabs are the most patient people in the world and can wait generations, through their sons and grandsons if necessary, to attend to a problem.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

The grieving and emotional trauma may depress many more peoples' immune systems,too.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

Git, yes, very annoying that they came up with an attack that none of us on these forums had discussed ad nauseum.

One thing in our favor now, IMO, is that the attack has substantially galvanized the country. I had anticipated that we would cower after an attack, but that clearly has not been the response. So, continued terrorist actions just might not really help their cause either.

Maggie, with regard to the rats, the building collapses probably did a great deal to dislodge the local population. It is an issue in large urban construction sites, the rats need a place to go. Doesn't necessarily mean that they are carrying anything, but they could become more aggressive, or at least more opportunities for rat/human contacts.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

Sad to say, but I think that all the rats in ground zero area that are still alive currently have plenty to eat. :(

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001