
Arizona resident dies from pneumonic plague, health officials say
Health officials in Coconino county, which incorporates part of the Grand Canyon national park and lies north of Flagstaff, confirmed the death on 11 July.
Pneumonic plague, a severe lung infection, is rare in humans, with only about seven cases reported annually in the US. Unlike bubonic plague, which killed millions in medieval Europe, it can be spread through airborne droplets.
While both are caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, bubonic plague is transmitted through rodent flea bites or contact with contaminated material – and it primarily affects the lymph nodes while pneumonic plague causes pneumonia and respiratory symptoms.
Authorities said the person, whose age, name and gender have not been released, had entered the Flagstaff Medical Center emergency department and died on the same day.
Hospital operator Northern Arizona Healthcare said in a statement that 'despite appropriate initial management and attempts to provide life-saving resuscitation, the patient did not recover'.
The death of the Coconino county resident marks the first recorded pneumonic plague death in the county in 18 years but not the most recent human plague case in Arizona – the state has recorded seven cases of plague since 2006.
The 2007 death reportedly occurred after the person involved had contact with a dead animal infected with plague.
Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about seven human cases of plague are reported annually across the country, but only 15 plague deaths have been recorded in a 23-year period beginning in 2000. Most cases have been seen in rural areas in the west.
Typically, the CDC says, Yersinia pestis cycles naturally among wild rodents. And while most people contract the disease though flea bites, they can become infected through exposure to sick pets, especially cats.
The plague death comes as officials in the county are investigating a sudden die-off of prairie dogs north-east of Flagstaff that may be caused by plague. County officials have said they do not think the human plague death and the prairie dog mortalities are related.
But they also issued guidelines about how to avoid contracting the plague, including avoiding contact with wild animals, touching sick or dead animals, camping near rodent burrows, or sleeping directly on the ground. They advise using insect repellent and tucking the cuffs of your trouser leg into your socks.
Coconino county health officials said the risk of human-to-human transmission of pneumonic plague is low. The last such transmission was in Los Angeles in 1924, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) data.
Still, the symptoms of the Black Death – named for black spots that appeared on infected bodies – remain present. US health officials say plague symptoms typically appear within eight days after exposure and may include fever, chills, headache, weakness and muscle pain, and some may develop swollen lymph nodes (called 'buboes'), most commonly in the groin, armpits or limbs.
But the timing of the human plague death, and the prairie dog die-off, is raising concerns. Plague is one of many diseases endemic to the south-western US, including West Nile virus, hantavirus and rabies.
Trish Lees, communications manager for Coconino county, told the Arizona Republic the number of prairie dogs that have died was unknown.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Menopause made my hair fall out. Then I discovered a new hair-loss solution. This is the secret ALL midlife women need to know
For me, midlife has brought various indignities, as well as many joys. But standing over a sink to count the number of hairs that had come out in my brush one morning has to be among the more distressing aspects. For the record, it was 201. And why was I counting them? Because I'd searched 'how to tell if your hair is falling out' online – and according to Dr Google, anything over 100 strands was a cause for concern.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The first time I tried weight-loss jabs, I made a huge mistake. I got it right in the end - this is what you MUST know about keeping the pounds off with Mounjaro
On paper, I was a success story. In just four months, I'd lost nearly two stone thanks to weight-loss injections, dropping from 72kg (11st 5lb) to 60kg (9st 6lb). But the scales didn't tell the whole truth. I was exhausted, weak and terrified that I would regain every ounce. Looking in the mirror didn't deliver the feeling of triumph it should have, either. My face still looked puffy, and I was even wearing the same size 14 clothes as when I started.


The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
WeightWatchers boss says ‘exciting work to do' amid impact of weight loss jabs
WeightWatchers was slower to adapt to the emergence of anti-obesity jabs than rivals, its boss has admitted, as the 62-year-old brand strives to catch up with rapidly evolving attitudes towards weight loss. Tara Comonte, chief executive of the US-based business, said it had a lot of work to do after going through a 'reset'. WeightWatchers recently announced it had emerged from bankruptcy after writing off a portion of the 1.15 billion US dollar (£860 million) debt on its balance sheet. It came as the business was competing with the emergence of GLP-1s – the scientific term for weight loss jabs, which work by reducing food cravings – and a new wave of apps and advice spreading on social media. Ms Comonte told the PA news agency that it 'wasn't as quick to medical weight loss solutions' as some other firms in the US, notably so-called 'telehealth' businesses that offer healthcare remotely. WeightWatchers, which runs some 20,000 workshops each month globally, is now 'at the beginning of the journey' towards forging a new place in the industry and meeting demand from current and future members, Ms Comonte said. 'This whole industry is going through somewhat of a reset and we have exciting work to do,' she told the PA news agency. 'This is a moment where, possibly more than ever before, people are talking about weight, and weight health… where people are seeking more education than ever before, and there are more voices than ever before.' Ms Comonte said the brand was known for 'trust and science' and it was important to harness that 'as there are more and more voices in the ecosystem'. WeightWatchers recently partnered with anti-obesity drugs provider CheqUp in the UK so patients taking the medication can access its 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app. It forms part of its efforts to muscle into the market by offering behavioural strategies and community-based support to people using or coming off the medication. 'There's no 'us and them' anymore,' Ms Comonte told PA, hitting back at weight loss jabs often being pitted as rivals to its model. Dr Kim Boyde, WeightWatchers' newly appointed chief medical officer, said not all its members will want or need weight loss medication – but stressed that it was 'imperative' the programme offers it to those that might benefit. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs. Health officials have suggested that they can help to turn the tide on obesity, but have stressed they are not a silver bullet and do come with side effects.