Oregon has reported its first human case of bubonic plague since 2015, and local health officials believe the person contracted the disease from their pet cat. The plague, which wiped out more than a third of Europe's population in the 14th century, is less deadly these days as long as antibiotics are given early on, as in this case. Dr. Richard Fawcett with Deschutes County Health Services added, “All close contacts of residents and their pets have been contacted and provided medication to prevent the disease.” time.
Symptoms of bubonic plague include sudden onset of fever, nausea, weakness, chills and muscle aches, which usually begin within two to eight days after infection, the Associated Press reports. LiveScience reports that humans are most commonly infected through flea bites, but it can also be contracted through contaminated body fluids or tissues from dogs, cats, and rodents such as chipmunks and squirrels. . A Deschutes County Health Services news release states, “Pet cats are highly susceptible to disease…if possible, avoid hunting rodents.” time Provide additional context.
- “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 suspected cases of plague in the United States. There was an outbreak of human plague infections, and more than 80% of them were infected. It was in the form of glands.”
(There's more to the story of the bubonic plague.)
