Oregon Reports First Human Case of Bubonic Plague in Over Eight Years
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Infected Resident Believed to Have Contracted Disease from Symptomatic Pet Cat
New Delhi – Oregon in the United States has recently reported its first human case of bubonic plague in over eight years. Health officials suspect that the disease was transmitted to the resident through their symptomatic pet cat. Prompt medical attention has been provided to the infected resident and their pet, reducing the risk of further transmission within the community.
This latest incident comes after Oregon’s last reported case of bubonic plague in 2015 when a teenage girl was infected through a flea bite. The state has only recorded nine human cases since 1995, all without any fatalities, making this disease exceptionally rare.
Understanding Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague, notorious for its devastating impact on 14th-century Europe during the Black Death, is primarily carried by wild rodents and fleas. When an infected rodent succumbs to the disease, its fleas can transmit the plague to other animals or even humans through bites. Common symptoms, such as high fever and swollen lymph nodes, can appear within two to eight days of exposure. Although the bubonic plague can be fatal if left untreated, early diagnosis allows for effective antibiotic treatment.
Prevalence of the Disease
On average, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there are 5 to 15 cases of bubonic plague annually in the western United States. The disease is primarily found in rural and semi-rural areas with significant wild rodent populations.
Bubonic Plague in the United States
While the United States typically experiences an average of around seven human plague cases each year, the geographic hotspot remains concentrated in the rural West. Specifically, states such as northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon, and western Nevada witness higher incidence rates of the disease.
