Oregon Confirmed a Human Case of the Bubonic Plague

A case of bubonic plague has hit Oregon and the likely cause was a cat.

Deschutes County health officials announced last week that a resident, who has not been identified, had been diagnosed with the plague, in the state’s first human case in eight years. The individual was likely infected by his cat, the department says.

“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medications to prevent illness,” said Dr. Richard Fawcett, Deschutes County Health Services Officer.

The disease is often transmitted through the bite of an infected flea or by contact with an infected animal. Human-to-human transmission can occur, but is rare.

The Oregon case was identified early and the person was treated quickly, according to officials. They added that the case does not represent a significant risk to the community and no other cases have been reported in the state. according to health officials. The last plague case in Oregon was reported in 2015.

Although the plague is famous for killing more than a third of Europe’s population…about 25 million people—From 1347 to 1351, it is now easily treatable with modern antibiotics. However, if not treated quickly, the disease can progress to an infection in the bloodstream and lungs and cause serious illness and death.

In humans, symptoms usually appear two to eight days after exposure to an infected animal or flea. Symptoms may include sudden fever, nausea, weakness, chills, muscle aches, and, most commonly, visibly swollen lymph nodes called buboes.

In the United States, plague infections continue to occur in rural areas of the West, particularly in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Between 1900 and 2012, there were 1,006 confirmed or probable cases of human plague in the United States, more than 80% of which have been the bubonic form. Over the past few decades, an average of seven cases of human plague have been reported each year in the U.S., according to the CDC, although the number is much higher worldwide.

Deschutes County Health Services recommended several measures to prevent the infestation, including keeping pets on a leash when outdoors and refraining from feeding squirrels, chipmunks or other wild rodents.