Camilla Jessen
Here’s what you need to know after a fatal case in Arizona.
A northern Arizona resident has died of pneumonic plague, U.S. health authorities announced on Friday, according to the Associated Press and News.ro.
Plague is rare in humans, with an average of about seven cases reported annually in the U.S., mostly in western states, according to federal health officials.
The death in Coconino County was the first recorded from pneumonic plague since 2007, local officials said.
No other details, including the victim’s identity, were released.
A plague from the past?
The plague is a bacterial infection known to have killed tens of millions of people in 14th-century Europe. Today, it can be easily treated with antibiotics.
Bubonic plague is the most common form of bacterial infection, which spreads naturally among rodents, such as prairie dogs and rats.
There are two other forms: septicemic plague, which spreads throughout the body, and pneumonic plague, which infects the lungs.
Pneumonic plague is the deadliest and most easily spread.
The bacteria is transmitted through the bites of infected fleas, which can spread it to rodents, pets, and humans. People can also contract plague through contact with infected bodily fluids.
Health experts recommend extra caution when handling dead or sick animals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most cases are occurring in rural areas of northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.
