First Plague Death in Nearly Two Decades Reported in Northern Arizona

Health officials said Friday that a resident of Coconino County had died from pneumonic plague, the first such death in the region since 2007.

Northern Arizona Healthcare reports that despite medical efforts to provide life-saving treatment, the patient passed away the same day after arriving to Flagstaff Medical Center with significant signs of a lung infection. The existence of the plague-causing bacteria, Yersinia pestis, was verified by quick diagnostic tests.

The public is still at low risk overall, county health officials stressed. Only roughly seven Americans get plague each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while 1,000 to 2,000 cases are diagnosed globally.

"That is never going to happen in the rest of human history," Will Humble of the Arizona Public Health Association made reference to the tragic outbreaks of bubonic plague in the 1300s,"We've figured out how to limit this disease."

Although the precise number of patients treated and whether any of them had symptoms has not been made public, county officials gave prophylactic antibiotics to those who might have been exposed while they waited for confirmation of the cause of death.

Officials stated that the fatality does not seem to be connected to a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the Townsend Winona area northeast of Flagstaff. In this instance, county health services are still looking into how the disease was spread.

The last known instance of human-to-human transmission in the US was in 1924, making it incredibly rare.

According to Dr. Sami Hoshi, an infectious disease specialist with Abrazo Health, several hospitals do not have the specific laboratory tests needed to confirm cases of plague. He did point out that about 99 percent of hospitals carry the medications commonly used to treat pneumonic plague.

Usually, fleas that have previously bitten sick animals may bite a human to spread the plague. Three types of the disease, bubbonic, septicemic, and pneumonic, are distinguished by the body component that is impacted by the Yersinia pestis infection.

Common plague symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.

Health officials advise against coming into contact with wild animals, particularly rats, and never handling or feeding them in order to be safe. To avoid flea bites, people should use insect repellent with 20–30% DEET and keep their homes sanitary by clearing away rubbish, brush, and rock heaps that could attract rodents. Pet owners should keep their animals on leashes and away from locations where wild rodents reside, as well as utilize flea treatments that have been recommended by veterinarians. Cats are more susceptible to contracting the plague.

Call county animal services at 928-679-8756 if you see abrupt deaths of prairie dogs or other rodents. If an animal displays symptoms of disease, such as a high temperature, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, or appetite loss, pet owners should contact a veterinarian right away.

To show consideration for the victim's family, county authorities have refrained from disclosing any further information concerning the victim's name. The source of the transmission is still being investigated.