US Has a Confirmed Case of Plague

Plague Doctor who treated bubonic plague. AI generated.

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This article was first published by our sister brand Contagion®Live.com.

Public health officials in Pueblo County, Colorado, announced that a human case of the plague had been confirmed. The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to investigate the case, according to a news statement.1

No specific information was provided about the person who contracted the disease or its type of plague—bubonic, septicemic, or pneumonic.1

“We advise all individuals to protect themselves and their pets from plague," stated Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at PDPHE, in a news release.¹

The plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) is transmitted by fleas and cycles naturally among wild rodents. Plague occurs naturally in the western US where it circulates among wild rodents and other animals.² It can infect humans and their pets.² People get plague from bites of infected fleas by touching or skinning infected animals or inhaling droplets from the cough of an infected person or animal.¹

Plague Geographics, Incidence Rates, and Other Cases This Year

The CDC estimates an average of 7 cases of plague are reported annually in the US, and over 80% of cases have been bubonic.3

The federal agency also reports most human cases in the US are acquired in 2 geographic regions:

• Northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado
• California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada3

Earlier this year, public health officials in 2 states reported individual plague cases. In February, Oregon public health officials announced that a resident had contracted bubonic plague through cat-to-human transmission. The individual and close contacts have received medication, with health officials stating no broader community risk.⁴ And in March, it was reported a New Mexico man died from the bubonic plague.⁵

These are all separate, individual cases with no connection between the cases.

What You Need to Know

Public health officials in Pueblo County, Colorado, have confirmed a human case of plague.

The plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) is transmitted by fleas and cycles naturally among wild rodents. It occurs naturally in the western US and can infect humans and their pets through flea bites, contact with infected animals, or inhaling droplets from an infected person or animal.

Preventative measures include avoiding contact with sick or dead rodents, preventing pets from hunting, using flea control products, and cleaning areas where rodents might live.

Disease Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment

Some preventative measures to avoid contracting bubonic plague include:

• Avoiding sick or dead rodents and rabbits and their nests and burrows
• Preventing pets from roaming and hunting
• Talking to a veterinarian about using an appropriate flea control product for pets, as not all products are safe for cats, dogs, or children.
• Having sick pets examined promptly by a veterinarian
• Seeing a physician about any unexplained illness involving a sudden and severe fever
• Cleaning up areas near the home where rodents could live, such as woodpiles, brush piles, junk, and abandoned vehicles
• Put hay, wood, and compost piles as far as possible from the home
• Don’t leave pets’ food and water where rodents and wildlife can get to them.⁵

In terms of signs, CDC reports that the most common symptom is the “rapid development of a swollen and painful lymph gland called a bubo. A known flea bite or the presence of a bubo may help a doctor to consider plague as a cause of the illness,” the federal agency reports.⁵

People who live or have traveled to the western US or any places where the plague is endemic and are experiencing symptoms should seek medical care immediately, as the CDC writes on its site. The plague is diagnosed with a test and can be treated with antibiotics.5

“If you develop symptoms of plague, see a health care provider immediately. Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death,” Solis stated.¹

References
1. Public Health Officials Investigating Human Plague Case in Pueblo County. The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment press statement. July 5, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024.
https://county.pueblo.org/public-health/pueblo-department-public-health-and-environment

2. About Plague. CDC. May 15, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/plague/about/index.html

3. Maps and Statistics. CDC. May 15, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps-statistics/index.html

4. Abene S. Rare Case of the Bubonic Plague Identified in Oregon.
Contagion. February 14, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024.
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/rare-case-of-the-bubonic-plague-identified-in-oregon

5. Parkinson J. New Mexico Man Succumbs to Bubonic Plague, Cause Not Reported. Contagion. March 12, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024.
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/new-mexico-man-succumbs-to-bubonic-plague-cause-not-reported