One dead after contracting plague in northern Arizona
A case of the plague has claimed the life of one person in northern Arizona.
According to Northern Arizona Healthcare, the person showed up with symptoms at the Flagstaff Medical Center, and died later that day, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The person tested positive for Yersinia pestis, which is the bacteria that causes the plague.
Earlier in the week, officials with the Coconino County Health Department reported a prairie dog die-off that happened northeast of Flagstaff, which is an indicator of the disease.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the plague usually spreads through bites from fleas that previously bit an infected animal. The website notes there are three types of plagues: Bubonic, Septicemic, and Pneumonic. They are each named for the part of the body that gets a Yersinia pestis infection.
"While it still exists, plague is extremely rare now. Worldwide, 1,000 to 2,000 people are diagnosed with plague every year. Only about seven cases are reported in the U.S. each year," read a portion of Cleveland Clinic's website.
Symptoms of the plague include, among other things:
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Weakness and fatigue
- Dizziness
Cleveland Clinic's website states a number of animals carry and spread the plague, including:
- Rodents, including rats, mice, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, gerbils, and guinea pigs
- Other small mammals
- Pet dogs and pet cats
- Deer
- Camels
This is not the first time a plague case has been identified in Northern Arizona.
In 1996, there were five identified cases in the Four Corners region of Arizona and Colorado, and an 18-year-old from Flagstaff died during that outbreak.
In 2007, there was one confirmed case, and in 2014 and 2015, flea in Flagstaff tested positive for it.
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