Forget avian flu— what about squirrel-pox?!
Red squirrels, immortalized by British children's author Beatrix Potter as the engaging, nut-obsessed "Squirrel Nutkin," were once common in gardens and woodlands across Britain before coming under threat from the grey variety, which steals the reds' food and carries the squirrel-pox virus.
Well, I feel much safer now. Public health info on squirrel pox from Michigan, where they apparently eat the little buggers:
The carcasses of affected animals are safe for human consumption, since current knowledge indicates the virus is not transmissible to man. Furthermore, the tumors are confined to the skin and are removed when the animal is skinned.Posted by rv at November 9, 2005 05:50 PM to news