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Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Mexico health officials: Santa Fe County dog diagnosed with plague
A dog in Santa Fe County has been diagnosed with plague but has recovered from the illness, the New Mexico Department of Health reported Friday. The agency raised the alarm about the diagnosis because plague can pass to humans through flea bites or contact with infected animals. 'Plague is a bacterial disease in wildlife that pets can be exposed to by eating an infected animal or through bites of infected fleas,' Erin Phipps, New Mexico's public health veterinarian, said in a statement. 'Humans can also contract it through flea bites but also risk getting plague through direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and pets.' The agency is recommending precautions including ensuring pet food and water bowls are kept away from rodents and other wildlife; keeping hay, wood and compost piles away from homes; and getting flea control for any pets. The dog has recovered, the Health Department said in a news release announcing the illness. The agency noted the risk of death can be decreased by quick diagnosis and treatment. Last year, there was one human plague case in the state. The last time an animal was diagnosed with plague was 2021, when a cat in Los Alamos County contracted the disease. While plague is more prevalent in the summer months, Health Department spokesperson David Morgan said the bacteria is present in the state year-round. Wildlife — and the fleas hitching a ride on them — are more active during the summer. Humans and pets also typically spend more time outside during the summer months. 'Put those together and you have more opportunities for plague exposure,' Morgan wrote in an email to The New Mexican. Between 1977 and 2023, the majority of feline plague cases have been in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties. Over the past two decades, plague diagnoses in cats have been decreasing. After a spike in the 1980s, human cases also have dropped. Between 2020 and 2023, there were only five human cases in the state: one in Rio Arriba County, one in Santa Fe County and three in Torrance County. There's an association between rain and plague cases. 'For example, a large spike in the 1980s is correlated with El Niño climate patterns causing above average precipitation in New Mexico,' Morgan wrote.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Santa Fe County dog diagnosed with plague in first New Mexico case of 2025
SANTA FE COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) — A dog in Santa Fe county was diagnosed with plague, according to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). This is New Mexico's first animal plague case of 2025. Story continues below Community: NM Dancewear closes its doors for good, leaving hole in dance community Food: Los Ranchos restaurant named best spot for brunch in the state by Yelp Crime: ABQ woman frustrated, two vehicles stolen from hospital parking lot days apart Film: Do you recognize these 'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie' filming locations? The dog has recovered after being treated by a veterinarian. State Public Healthy Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps says pets can be exposed to plague by eating an infected animal, or through bites from infected fleas. Humans can also contract it through flea bites, as well as direct contact with infected animals such as rodents, wildlife, pets. Plague symptoms in cats and dog include fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. They could experience lymph node swelling beneath the jaw. Symptoms for humans are sudden onset fever, chills, headache and weakness. Most cases involve swollen, painful lymph nodes in the groin, armpit or neck. NMDOH provided these tips on preventing plague: 'Not leaving pet food and water where rodents and wildlife can get to it Putting hay, wood, and compost piles as far as possible from your home Getting any sick pets examined promptly by a veterinarian Contacting your medical provider about any unexplained illness involving a sudden and severe fever Talking to your veterinarian about using an appropriate flea control product on your pets. Preventing pets from roaming and hunting Cleaning up areas near the home where rodents could live, such as woodpiles, brush piles, junk and abandoned vehicles Avoiding sick or dead rodents and rabbits, and their nests and burrows' Chances of death in pets and people are greatly reduced with prompt diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. Suspicions of plague should be reported to the NMDOH helpline at 1-833-796-8773. You can read more about the plague's impact on New Mexico at this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
