A Case of the Plague Confirmed in the US

Public health officials in Pueblo County, Colorado announced a human case of the plague has 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 the type of plague it is—bubonic, septicemic, or pneumonic.¹

“We advise all individuals to protect themselves and their pets from plague," Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at PDPHE, stated 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 United States 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are an average of 7 cases of plague reported annually in the US and that over 80% of cases have been the bubonic type.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 cases of the plague. In February, Oregon public health officials announced that a resident has 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.

Disease Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment

Some preventative measures to avoid contracting bubonic plague including:

• Avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, and their nests and burrows
• Prevent pets from roaming and hunting
• Talk to a veterinarian about using an appropriate flea control product for pets as not all products are safe for cats, dogs or children
• Have sick pets examined promptly by a veterinarian
• See a physician about any unexplained illness involving a sudden and severe fever
• Clean 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 pet’s food and water where rodents and wildlife can get to it 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 traveled to the western US or any places where the plague is endemic and are experiencing symptoms of the plague should seek medical care immediately, 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