Wyoming mountain lions die of plague
POWELL, Wyoming (Reuters) - Two mountain lions have died of bubonic plague in northwest Wyoming, posing a risk of possible infection to humans, a local scientist said on Friday.In a little more than a year, four area mountain lions have died from the disease and several domestic cats have tested positive, said Ken Mills, a professor of veterinary sciences who diagnosed the cats' disease in his University of Wyoming laboratory.
Bubonic plague is often spread by fleas but if it reaches an animal's lungs, it can be spread through coughing or sneezing, he warned.
"Plague is cycling in that area, and the potential is there to infect (domestic) cats. That really would be where exposure to humans would take place," said Mills.
The mountain lions died at the end of October, but the university just issued a warning to hunters and cat owners on Thursday. The area affected is a sparsely populated portion of northwest Wyoming that includes Yellowstone National Park and Jackson, both popular tourist destinations.
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