A pair of infected beavers let loose from a nearby research center threw the University of Massachusetts at Amherst into turmoil last week.

Despite the best efforts of campus police to track down the dangerous rodents before they came in contact with any people, the duo proved adept at eluding pursuers.

Epidemic

The pair of beavers, infected with giardiasis disease--commonly known as back-packer's or hiker's disease because it is transmitted through outdoor water sources--could be "epidemic to people," said Wendell Dodge, director of the cooperative wildlife research unit at the Research Center.

Don't Drink the Water

Dodge said the disease is a protozoan flagellate disease that causes diarrhea. Were a human to drink from a stream that one of the infected beavers had contaminated, the human could possibly become infected, Dodge said.

No Suspect

There are no suspects in the case and as of Sunday, the beavers were still at large.