Case of Plague Confirmed in U.S.

Public health officials have confirmed a human case of plague in Pueblo County, Colorado. Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) detected the case last week from preliminary tests, and the potential source of the infection is still under investigation.

The plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) is transmitted by fleas and cycles naturally among wild rodents. Plague occurs naturally and can infect humans and their pets. 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.

Typical symptoms of plague include sudden fever and chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and a feeling of illness. A common symptom of plague is also swollen lymph nodes with pain. 

“Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death,” said Alicia Solis, PDPHE program manager of the office of communicable disease and emergency preparedness.

PDPHE advised individuals to protect themselves and their pets by:

• Eliminating places that rodents can hide and breed around your home, garage, shed, and recreation area, including remove brush, rock piles, trash, and piles of lumber.
• Avoiding contact with dead animals.
• Using insect repellent that contains 20% to 30% DEET to prevent flea bites.
• Not letting pets sleep in bed with you.
• Treating dogs and cats for fleas regularly.
• Not allowing pets to hunt or roam in rodent areas, including prairie dog colonies.
• Keeping pet food in rodent-proof containers.

An average of seven human plague cases are reported each year in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracked. Typically plague occurs in the western U.S., with most cases in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Globally since the 1990s, most human cases occurred in Africa.