Colorado’s last previous plague death was in 2004.
Advertisement
The recent fatal human case, positive prairie dog and positive fleas, confirm plague in Pueblo County, spokeswoman Sarah Joseph added.
The Pueblo City-County Health Department released a statement confirming the county’s first case of plague since 2004 and expressing condolences to the victim’s family.
The local health department notes the only animals confirmed with plague so far this year in Pueblo County were in an area of Turkey Creek near the county’s western edge.
Together with the instances in Colorado, the California Division of Public Well being introduced on Thursday that a youngster who camped in Yosemite Nationwide Park and visited Stanislaus Nationwide Forest in mid-July was recognized with the plague, reported CNN.
Cases of the plague are rare in the United States and most common in the West. Deaths are even rarer. They have now collected specimens of fleas and dead animals in the area which will then be tested for plague infection.
The last reported case of plague in Canada was in 1939, the Public Health Agency of Canada says.
Plague, caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis, is transmitted from rodent to rodent by infected fleas.
Well being officers informed the Submit that officers have recognized 4 instances of the plague within the state this yr. One was recognized in Boulder County and the opposite in Denver. The bubonic plague leads to the spread of infection through tissues into the lymphatic system, leading to swelling.
To protect against the disease, Health officials caution against touching wild rabbits, rats or other rodents – dead or alive – and recommend using insect repellent and flea control for pets.
Symptoms include fever, chills, weakness, and swollen and painful lymph nodes.
Experts surmise the root of the re-emergence is humans coming into contact with armadillos, the only animals known to naturally carry the disease.
Advertisement
The plague killed hundreds of thousands of individuals in Europe in the course of the Center Ages, however trendy antibiotics have confirmed efficient in treating plague, famous the CDC. The disease causes major damage to the skin and nerves, but if treated promptly, it’s not life-threatening, according to the Florida Department of Health.
