Colorado health officials confirmed a human case of the plague, the rare bacterial infection known for killing tens of millions of people in 14th-century Europe. Today, it is easily treated with antibiotics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are seven human cases of plague per year in the U.S., and in FebruaryOregon officials reported this in a person who likely contracted the virus from their sick cat.
Surprised to learn that the plague still exists? Here’s what you should know.
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 of plague: septicemic plague (which spreads throughout the body) and pneumonic plague (which infects the lungs).
Bubonic plague causes painfully swollen lymph nodes, most commonly found in the groin, armpit, and neck, called buboes. It will often advance and transform into the other two forms of plague if left untreated.
Other symptoms of the plague include a sudden high fever and chills, headaches and pain in the abdomen, legs and arms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The bacteria is transmitted through bites from infected fleas, which spread it among rodents, pets and humans.
People can also contract the plague by touching infected bodily fluids, so health experts recommend taking extra care when handling dead or sick animals. Plague can also spread through respiratory droplets from a patient with pneumonic plague.
Pneumonic plague is the deadliest and easiest to spread, with a nearly 100% death rate without treatment, said Lisa Morici, a microbiologist and immunologist at Tulane University School of Medicine.
In the US, most cases occur in rural areas of northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon and extreme western Nevada, According to the CDC.
Worldwide, plague is most commonly found in Congo, Madagascar and Peru, according to the World Health Organization.
The plague has never been eradicated, but we have gotten better at preventing its spread and treating it in humans.
When treated early with antibiotics, plague can be cured. The key is to get to a doctor quickly – otherwise the plague can be deadly.
And, as the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
Keeping areas around the home free of debris and other things that could attract rodents can lower the risk of infection, as can ensuring pets are up to date on flea treatments. When hunting, camping, or spending time outdoors, the CDC recommends using a repellent with DEET to keep fleas and other disease-spreading pests away.
Yes, but the WHO only recommends it for people at high risk of infection, such as laboratory and healthcare professionals. There is no plague vaccine available in the US
Morici said there is a need for more research because although vaccines used in other parts of the world work against bubonic plague, there is no strong evidence to show that they protect against the pneumonic form of the plague.
Testing a plague vaccine would be ethically and logistically difficult, she said.
“Because the bubonic form is quite treatable with antibiotics and also quite rare — we don’t see thousands and thousands of cases of plague a year — there just isn’t a huge market for a plague vaccine right now,” Morici said.
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