CREATURE DISCOMFORTS
The hero in our apocalyptic thriller has survived the outbreak and taken up residence in an abandoned hunting shack. Soon, that antique radio will be dusted off, and efforts will be made to reach out to other survivors — if there are any. In the meantime, there’s a pristine stream nearby and lots of wild game roaming the woods. Our hero just has to redevelop those hunting and survival instincts that were sacrificed in favor of a more urbane skill set.
But what if the mysterious pathogen at the root of it all didn’t just show up at the airport? What if it isn’t coming from zombies or aliens or terrorists? What if it’s carried by the deer, elk, rabbits, and squirrels, and it lurks in rodent nests in the cabin or in the stream outside?
OK, let’s take it from the top. Blank slate, different story.
Zoonotic diseases are those that aren’t species-specific but can be passed from animals to humans (or vice versa). No, there aren’t any zoonotic diseases on the horizon that are expected to end civilization, but some can cause serious illness or even death and have left a dark shadow on the history of the world. Hunters, trappers, and farmers have sufficient opportunity to be exposed to these illnesses, but so does anyone who may find themselves cleaning out a storage shed or buying
