Arizona Resident Dies of Plague After Being Rushed to Emergency Room
The person was treated at a local emergency room and died the same day, per NBC News
Coconino County Health and Human Services said the risk of human transmission is "very low"One person has died of the bacteria that causes the plague in Northern Arizona, near Flagstaff, officials confirmed.
Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) said in a July 11 statement that a county resident was confirmed to have died from pneumonic plague, As CCHHS said, it's 'a severe lung infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium.'
'Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased,' Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman said in the statement. 'We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time. Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released.'
The patient arrived at Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department and died the same day, per a report by NBC News.
CCHHS did say the death was not related to recent reports of prairie dogs dying in the Townsend Winona area, which some officials had linked to the plague, according to a report in AZ Central.
The plague is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium and is transmitted to people by rodent fleas, or by handling an infected animal, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says. It manifests first as the bubonic plague, with symptoms that include fever, headache, chills, weakness and swollen, painful lymph nodes. The disease, if untreated, may progress into septicemic plague, which causes abdominal pain, shock, and bleeding into the skin.
Pneumonic plague occurs when the disease progresses past septicemic or bubonic. It's the 'most serious form of the disease,' the CDC says, and the only type that can be spread from person to person. It's marked by 'rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery mucous.'
The CDC notes that 'plague is a very serious illness but treatable with commonly available antibiotics.'
CCHHS cautioned residents to avoid contact with wild animals, especially rodents, and to avoid fleas by using an insect repellant '20-30 percent DEET and tuck pant cuffs into your socks to help prevent flea bites.'
The agency urged residents to be see veterinary care for pets, and to be especially mindful of cats, who who are 'highly susceptible to plague.'
CCHHS said "the risk of human-to-human transmission is very low."
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