BSIP/Universal Images Group Editorial/Getty Images/File
Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the plague, seen under a light microscope.
CNN
—
A case of plague has been confirmed in Pueblo County, Colorado, officials announced Tuesday.
This incident Flagged The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment said preliminary test results Friday meant the possible source of the infection was still under investigation. news release.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the flea-borne bacterium Yersinia pestis. Best known as the Black Death, which killed millions in Europe during the Middle Ages, the bacterium circulates naturally among wild rodents and birds. Rarely According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is still infecting humans.
Plague is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected fleas, through contact with infected animals, or by inhaling droplets coughed by an infected person or animal.
According to the CDC, anyone who develops symptoms of the plague should seek immediate medical attention, which typically include sudden fever or chills, severe headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and commonly painful swollen lymph nodes.
“Plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but infected individuals must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications and death,” Alicia Solis, program manager for the Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Bureau at the City of Pueblo’s Department of Public Health and Environment, said in a news release.
“We encourage everyone to protect themselves and their pets from plague,” the department said.
The agency said one way to avoid infestation is to eliminate areas where wild rodents may live around people, such as brush, rock piles, trash and wood piles around homes, garages, sheds and recreation areas.
Get the CNN Health weekly newsletter
Taking precautions around pets can also reduce the risk of infection: The agency recommends giving dogs and cats flea medication, storing pet food in rodent-proof containers and not letting pets roam freely in rodent-infested areas or sleep in the same bed as you.
From 1970 to 2022, there were 67 reported cases of plague in Colorado. According to the CDC:Between 2010 and 2015, 3,248 cases of plague were reported worldwide, with the most cases occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru. who found.
“Plague vaccine is no longer available in the United States,” the CDC said. To tell“New plague vaccines are in development but are not expected to be commercially available in the near future.”
