[[{“value”:”The pneumonic plague concomitantly killed a man in New Mexico, making it the state’s second fatality in BP-related history since 2020.
A Lincoln County man has died of plague after being hospitalized for the disease, according to the New Mexico Department of Health ( NMDOH). The New Mexico Department of Health announced that this case represented the second human case of the plague in the state since 2021 and the second death since 2020.
State Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps, DVM, MPH, expressed her heartfelt condolences to the family of the Lincoln County man who perished from the plague.
This tragic incident serves as a clear reminder of the threat posed by this old disease and emphasizes the need for increased community awareness and proactive measures to stop its spread, Phipps continued.
US patient died from bubonic plague as concerns grow about the “increasing risk” of rodent-borne disease https ://t.co/NU5FA0gvg3 pic. twitter.com/UybF7IWuOG
— New York Post ( @nypost ) April 11, 2024
Cont. from the New Mexico Health Department:
Rodent borne plague is a bacterial illness that is typically spread by catching fleas infected with humans. It can spread through direct contact with dead, injured, and unwanted animals, such as pets.
Canine and cat owners who are allowed to roam and hunt can return infected fleas from useless rodents into the home, putting family members at risk.
The NMDOH team is reaching out to local residents. In addition, a community will conduct an climate assessment to determine whether there is a future risk.
People who have a rapid onset of fever, chills, headache, and weakness are symptoms of plague. In the majority of cases, the lymph node in the groin, armpit, or neck experiences a painful swelling. Cats and dogs experience fever, weakness, and weight loss. The lymph node may be swelling beneath the jaw.
A US patient died from pneumonic plague, which is the first case to be reported in New Mexico since 2021. twitter.com/CklpB5KfB6
— Voice of Europe ( @V_of_Europe ) March 11, 2024
According to the New York Post,” the incidence of the bubonic plague in the United States is extremely uncommon, with five to fifteen cases occurring in the West on ordinary annually.”
More details from the New York Post:
Yersinia pestis, a bacterium that was most probable introduced to North America around 1900 from rats that had stowed away aboard steamships from Southeast Asia, is the source of the bubonic plague.
Ground squirrels and rodents are now widespread to the disease in the remote southern U.S., where the majority of the cases take place.
Patients who become infected have a variety of symptoms, including fever and chills to inflamed lymph nodes known as buboes, from which the illness gets its name.
The sick rodent or flea’s bite site” the buboes form at the site of the bite,” said Canadian certified infection control practitioner Erica Susky.
Although there is no vaccine, if the plague is discovered first, antibiotics can be used to treat it.
If left unattended, it can even lead to fatality.
Susky warned that “bukonic plague is a severe viral illness only, but it can also quickly turn into more serious and deadly plague forms.” Bubonic and bubonic plague, where the bacteria can infect the lungs and bloodstream, are more serious forms.
Oregon reported its first case of pneumonic plague in almost ten years last month.
Case Of American Bubonic Plague Found”}]] [[{“value”:”
New Mexico’s first BP related death since 2020 is a man who died of complications from the bubonic disease.
The New Mexico Department of Health announces that a Lincoln County resident died of plague following hospitalization for the disease. New Mexico Department of Health reported that this is the first case of plague to occur in New Mexico since the year 2021, and the first death to occur since the year 2020.
Erin Phipps DVM, MPH, State Public Health Veterinarian, expressed her deepest sympathies to the family of a Lincoln County man who died from plague.
“This tragic event serves as a reminder of the danger posed by this ancient illness and emphasizes the importance of heightened community awareness and preventative measures to prevent its spreading,” Phipps said.
US patient dead from bubonic plague as concerns rise over ‘ongoing risk’ of rodent-borne disease https://t.co/NU5FA0gvg3 pic.twitter.com/UybF7IWuOG
New York Post (@nypost), March 11, 2024
Cont. New Mexico Department of Health
The plague is a bacterial infection that affects rodents. It is spread to humans by fleas infected with the disease. It can also be spread through direct contact with animals infected, such as rodents, wildlife, and pets.
Allowing dogs and cats to roam and hunt may bring fleas infected from dead rodents into the home. This puts household members at risk.
NMDOH staff conducts outreach to residents of the area. A community environmental assessment will be done to identify any ongoing risks.
Human plague symptoms include a sudden onset of high fever, chills and headache. In most cases, there is a painful swelling in the lymph node area of the groin or armpit. In cats and dogs, plague symptoms include fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. There may be swelling in the node of lymph under the jaw.
US patient died from bubonic plague, marking the first recorded case in New Mexico since 2021 https://t.co/VBbpvUAWd3 pic.twitter.com/CklpB5KfB6
Voice of Europe (@V_of_Europe), March 11, 2024
The New York Post reported that the number of cases of bubonic plague is extremely low in the United States, with only five to fifteen cases per year on average in the West.
New York Post More Info:
The bubonic disease is caused by Yersinia Pestis, a bacterium which likely arrived in North America around 1900 via rats that were stowed aboard steamships from Southeast Asia.
Since then, the disease is endemic in rural southwest U.S. where the majority occurs.
Once infected with the disease, patients will experience a variety of symptoms, ranging from fever, chills, and swollen nodes, known as buboes.
“The buboes are formed at the site of the rodent or flea bite,” explained Erica Susky a certified infection-control practitioner in Canada.
Antibiotics can treat the plague if it is caught early.
It can be fatal if not treated.
Susky warned that “Bubonic Plague is a serious infection, but it can quickly develop into more severe and fatal forms of plague.” “More severe forms include pneumonic plague and septicemic, where the bacteria infect the lungs and the bloodstream.”
Last month, Oregon reported the first case of bubonic plague in almost a decade.
Case of Bubonic Plague Detected in United States
“}]]
