The Fifth Plague of Egypt: Diseased Livestock (דֶּבֶר): Ex. 9:1–7
Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats.
— Exodus 9:1–3
This is the fifth of ten caches placed in or around Wausau area. Actually, this is a replacement for the previously archived 5th Plague cache. No matter. There are cache series in the area for the Seven Dwarves, the Packers, the Wizard of Oz - why not Plagues?
Click here to see all of our Plagues of Egypt.
After reading about Mad Cow Disease, and Hoof and Mouth Disease, and Chronic Wasting Disease, and Colony Collapse Disorder, and White-Nose Syndrome, it's easy to believe that disease among animals is something 'new'. The truth is, livestock diseases, and diseases among other animals, have been plaguing our world for millennia. Clearly it was something well-known to the ancient Jews and Egyptians. It is only recently, however, that we have been able to uniquely identify some of these diseases.
Here are a few of the more current outbreaks. This information is not needed to find the cache, but you may find it interesting.
WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME
First identified in February of 2006 from a photo taken in Schoharie County, New York. It is a fungal growth that has killed millions of bats in the US. Worldwide, there are over 1300 different species of bats, many of which feed primarily on pest insects and bugs. In the US, bats save an estimated 30-50 billion dollars per year in pest control services.
AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1
First identified in Hong Kong in 1997, this particular strain of virus is highly contagious and pathogenic. killing millions of birds and even affecting some people. Research has shown that a highly contagious strain of H5N1, one that might allow airborne transmission between mammals, can be reached in only a few mutations, raising concerns about a pandemic and bioterrorism.
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
Chronic Wasting Disease, also known as CWD, was first observed in 1967 as a condition affecting mule deer in northern Colorado. In 1978 it was identified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) prion, and it has been found to affect Mule Deer, White-Tailed Deer, Elk, and Moose. No conclusive link has been made between infected animals and a similar disease in humans. However, the CDC encourages those eating venison to stay away from and not ingest specific parts of the deer as a precaution.
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPOTHY (BSE)
Commonly known as 'Mad Cow Disease', this is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that is both highly contagious and highly lethal. Another form of neurological disease caused by misfolded protiens (Prions), this disease has been proven capable of infecting and killing people. During a particularly widespread outbreak in the United Kingdom, over 4 million cattle were eradicated, burned, and buried in an effort to stop the disease.
COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER CCD
is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. This has been occurring through the entire history of beekeeping (apiculture) but when a dramatic rise of disappearances among western honey bee populations in the US occurred starting in 2006, people started to take notice. Since that time, over 14 million hives have been lost to the disorder, and no single cause has been conclusively identified.
HOOF AND MOUTH DISEASE
Foot and Mouth, or Hoof and Mouth disease is a highly infections viral disease among cloven-hooved animals. Susceptible animals include cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs, antelope, deer, and bison. Known throughout history, it was identified as a virus in 1897, and in 2001 a serious outbreak in the United Kingdom caused widespread disruption and forced the slaughter of many thousands of animals. It is caused by a picornavirus and is rarely spread to humans.
EQUINE INFLUENZA
An epizootic outbreak of equine influenza during 1872 in North America became known as "The Great Epizootic of 1872", and is known as the "most destructive recorded episode of equine influenza in history". Equine Influenza mortality rates are low (only 1% to 10%), but it has a nearly 100% infection rate among non-immunized animals, and a single infection does not prevent recurrence from a second outbreak. Currently, the impact is mostly felt in the horse racing industry.
AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS AHS
is a highly infectious and deadly disease that commonly affects horses, mules, and donkeys, but also present in camels, elephants and dogs. Though viral in nature, it is not directly contagious, although it is known to spread through insect bites. It was first recorded in the mid-1600s with the introduction of horses to southern Africa. It is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, and has spread to Morocco, the Middle East, India, and Pakistan. The disease has a 90% mortality rate among horses, 50% among mules, and 10% among donkeys. Zebras very rarely display symptoms, and are thought to be the primary reservoir for the pathogen.
CAMELS and the MERS VIRUS
In 2012, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) hit the international news sources as 182 people were sickened by an outbreak of a mysterious disease. 79 of those people died. MERS is caused by a coronavirus which has been found to be present on up to 35% of all camels in Saudi Arabia. Evidence showed that roughly 75% of all camels in the region have been infected with the MERS virus at some point in their lives. The pathogen is not lethal to camels, but when passed to humans through direct contact, the result can be deadly. There is no known cure for MERS.