Medieval squirrels and leprosy

[DBS]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/03/leprosy-passed-between-medieval-squirrels-and-humans-study-suggests

Little beggars!

[Imperial Dave]

Back to the green monkey theory....!

[Ian61]

Good find.

[Nick Harbud]

Of course, the concept of squirrels being a disease vector is not so strange once one realises that they are closely related to rats, notorious spreaders of bubonic plague and other complaints.

Do we think that the displacement of red squirrels by invasive grey squirrels has had the benefit of eliminating leprosy from the UK?  In which case, should we all do our bit for public health by shooting ecologists who are trying to preserve and reintroduce this pestilential breed?

 

[Erpingham]

The main lessons appear to be don't use squirrel fur in clothes and don't keep them as pets. Given what appear to be low transmission rates in modern populations, how much of a risk were medieval squirrels to public health, one wonders?  Do we have records of high levels of leprosy among Scandinavian squirrel hunters, who you would expect to have high exposure levels?

[Keraunos]

The main lessons appear to be don't use squirrel fur in clothes and don't keep them as pets. Given what appear to be low transmission rates in modern populations, how much of a risk were medieval squirrels to public health, one wonders?  Do we have records of high levels of leprosy among Scandinavian squirrel hunters, who you would expect to have high exposure levels?

Phew!  No pet squirrel and no squirrel fur clothing.  Why only Scandinavian squirrel hunters?  Surely other peoples hunted squirrels as well?

[Erpingham]

Why only Scandinavian squirrel hunters?  Surely other peoples hunted squirrels as well?

True but the report singled out Scandinavia as a major source of squirrel fur in the period.  So a good place to start, perhaps?

[Imperial Dave]

Rats with bushy tails

[DBS]

Jurassic Park, aka Isle of Wight?  Lots of the little blighters there.  Greys found to have sneaked onto the ferries are unceremoniously thrown over the side into the Solent when the RSPCA are not looking...

[Imperial Dave]

Little grey feckers....

[Erpingham]

Jurassic Park, aka Isle of Wight?  Lots of the little blighters there. 

Yet the islanders do not suffer from leprosy epidemics, as far as I know.

[Nick Harbud]

...unless one considers that traditionally leper colonies have been established on remote islands to inhibit spread of the disease amongst the healthy population.

 

[Cantabrigian]

Rats with bushy tails

You say that as if it's a bad thing...

[Imperial Dave]

 

[Erpingham]

...unless one considers that traditionally leper colonies have been established on remote islands to inhibit spread of the disease amongst the healthy population.

 

While I confess I've heard the IoW described as a 50's theme park, no-one has mentioned it being a leper colony.