A new rare case of human plague has health officials who issue a new alert
Find out how you can help prevent additional spread of this notorious disease.
THE Flu, RSV, Covid - And now, the plague? While this notorious infectious disease, which once decimated the population From Europe, has not caused a major epidemic in 100 years, it still appears with a handful of annual infections. According to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), an average of seven Case of human plague are reported each year. And now, a new case of human plague has been detected in rural regions of Oregon, the first time that the state has seen the disease in nine years. Read the rest to find out more about the disease and what Heath officials warn in the light of the recent report.
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A new rare case of human plague has been reported in Oregon.
In a February 7 press release , DESCHUTE County health officials, Oregon, announced that there was a confirmed case of human plague in the region. This is the first reported case of the state since 2015, according to Oregon Health Authority. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
The CDC says that the plague is caused by the Yersinia Pestis Bacteria, which can be found in many regions of the world. But in the United States, it is most often found in the rural and semi-rural regions of Western states, such as northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon and west of Nevada.
David Wagner , Director of Biodefense and Disease Ecology Center of Northern Arizona University Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, told NBC News That the "hot spot of the plague is really the region all over", near the borders of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
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Officials believe that the person was infected with his cat.
The plague generally spreads to humans when they are bitten by an infected chip or come into contact with an animal sick with the disease, according to the health services of the County of Deschutes. In terms of newly reported Oregon cases, health officials said the person was probably infected with their pets for pets.
DESCHUT County health officer Richard Fawcett , MD, told NBC News that the cat was "very sick" and had a draining abscess, which indicated "a fairly substantial infection".
Current plague symptoms In cats, there is "fever, eye discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, poor hair layer, swollen tongue, mouth ulcers, enlarged tonsils and an enlarged abdomen", According to the Oregon Public Health Department.
"All the close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent the disease," Fawcett said in a statement.
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Symptoms of human plague generally start two to eight days after exposure.
Fawcett told NBC News that the owner's infection had probably started in a lymph node. This is known as the bubonic plague, where bacteria will multiply in a lymphatic lymph node near the place where it has entered the human body, according to the CDC.
In addition to visibly swollen lymph nodes, DESCHUTE County health officials said humans may experience other symptoms of bubonic plague, such as "a sudden start of fever, nausea, weakness, chills, [ and] muscle pain "that start two to eight days after exposure to an infected animal or flea.
If it is not diagnosed early enough, the bubonic plague can progress towards one of the other two forms of plague: septicemic plague, which is a blood infection; And the pneumonic plague, which is a pulmonary infection. Fawcett said that the owner's infection had progressed to blood circulation when they were hospitalized, and some doctors estimated that the patient had developed a cough in the hospital, but it is not clear if the disease had progressed far enough to be considered as a pneumonic plague, which can transmit among humans.
"This case has been identified and treated in the previous stages of the disease, posing little risks for the community," said the health services of Deschutes in their press release. "No additional case of plague emerged during the investigation into transmitted diseases."
Health officials offer advice to help prevent the spread of plague.
While Fawcett told NBC News that it would be "very surprised if we saw other cases" of plague in Oregon, antibiotics have been given to the patient's close contacts by abundance of prudence. Deschutes County Health Services also offered several tips to help reduce the potential spread of plague.
These include avoiding contact with rodents and their chips, as well as to keep pets on a leash outside and protect them with flea control products.
"Never touch sick, injured or dead rodents," warned health officials. "Do not allow pets to approach sick or dead rodents or explore the burdens of rodents."
They also advised residents to keep the rodents wild outside the houses; Remove food, wood batteries and others attractive for rodents around houses and outbuildings; Avoid camping, sleeping or resting near animal burrows or areas where dead rodents are observed; refrain from feeding squirrels, tamias or other wild rodents in camping grounds and picnic areas; And wear long pants nestled in the bolts to reduce exposure to fleas.
You should also be very careful with pet cats because they are "very sensitive to plague", according to Deschutes County Health Services.
"If possible, discourage their rodent hunting," they said in the press release. "Consult a veterinarian immediately if your cat gets sick after being in touch with rodents."
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