Latest news with #pneumonicplague
Bloomberg
10 hours ago
- Health
- Bloomberg
What You Should Know About the Plague After an Arizona Death
Hi, it's Jessica in New York, where the resurgence of the plague has me wondering about how you can protect yourself. More on that in a moment … Last week, local health authorities in northern Arizona confirmed a person died of the plague. It's the county's first death from pneumonic plague, a type of bacteria that infects the lungs, since 2007.
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Pneumonic Plague Death Confirmed in Arizona
Death from pneumonic plague was confirmed in a resident of Coconino County, Arizona, on July 11, 2025, according to a press release from the county's health and human services department. Although plague is rare in humans, it is endemic in the southwestern United States, and Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) maintains surveillance for the disease, according to the press release. "The source of the exposure is still under investigation; however, the death is not related to a recent report of a prairie dog die-off in the Townsend Winona area, northeast of Flagstaff," a media spokesperson from CCHHS told Medscape Medical News. Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague but tend to die off quickly after an infection; they serve as an indicator species for the presence of plague, but not as long-term disease vectors, according to the press release. Plague was not found to be present in the prairie dog colony with the recent die-off, the spokesperson added. The bacterium Yersinia pestis, the source of plague, originates in fleas and is transmissible to animals or humans through a bite from an infected flea, according to the CDC. Humans can get plague from handling infected animals as well. Plague cycles naturally among rodents in the wild, such as prairie dogs, but plague caused by bites is more likely to be bubonic plague or septicemic plague, according to the CDC. Pneumonic plague is spread by inhalation of bacteria-containing droplets and affects the lungs. Notably, cats are highly susceptible to plague and can become infected by eating infected rodents, as well as from flea bites, according to the CDC. Cats with plague pose a risk of transmitting infectious plague droplets resulting in pneumonic plague to their owners or to veterinarians, according to the CDC. In humans, plague symptoms usually appear within about a week of exposure and may include chills and fever, headache, weakness, and muscle pain, as well as swollen lymph nodes in some cases, according to the CCHHS press release. Although the public health risk for plague remains low, Arizona public health officials recommend standard precautions such as avoiding contact with wild animals and fleas and seeking prompt veterinary care for sick pets. Officials also recommend removing piles of brush, rocks, trash, or lumber from homes and outbuildings because these could promote rodent infestations.
Fox News
a day ago
- Health
- Fox News
Scientists crack the code on new vaccine for deadly plague bacteria
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published July 15, 2025 Israeli researchers have developed a new vaccine that is "100% effective" against a bacteria that is deadly to humans. The announcement came from Tel Aviv University, which teamed up with the Israel Institute for Biological Research to create the mRNA-based vaccine, which is the first to protect against bacteria. "In the study, we show that our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague (a severe lung infection), which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease," study co-lead Professor Dan Peer, director of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital. ARIZONA RESIDENT DIES OF PNEUMONIC PLAGUE, THE FIRST DEADLY CASE IN AREA IN NEARLY 20 YEARS "Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is considered a highly lethal infectious bacterium, against which no approved vaccine exists." This bacterium is so lethal, even at small doses, that it has been classified as a "Tier 1 select agent" by the CDC and is considered a "potential bioterror weapon," according to Peer. "Several natural local outbreaks have been recorded in the past few years, indicating that Y. pestis still poses a risk to the human population," he noted. The researchers tested the novel mRNA vaccine in animals infected with the bacteria, a university press release stated. BUBONIC PLAGUE IN THE US: DO YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT CATCHING THE RODENT-BORNE DISEASE? "Within a week, all unvaccinated animals died, while those vaccinated with our vaccine remained alive and well," the team reported, noting that a single dose provided full protection after two weeks. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. "Our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague, which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease." Before this study, mRNA vaccines were only shown to protect against viruses, such as COVID-19, but not bacteria, according to Tel Aviv University's Dr. Edo Kon, who co-led the study. "Until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically unattainable," said Kon in the announcement. "In our study, we proved that it is, in fact, possible to develop mRNA vaccines that are 100% effective against deadly bacteria." While vaccines for viruses trigger human cells to produce viral proteins, which then train the immune system to protect against them, that same method hasn't been effective for bacteria. Instead, the scientists used a different method to release bacterial proteins that successfully created a "significant immune response." "To enhance the bacterial protein's stability and make sure that it does not disintegrate too quickly inside the body, we buttressed it with a section of human protein," they wrote. "By combining the two breakthrough strategies, we obtained a full immune response." Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reiterated the importance of the study. "This is distinct from research in coronavirus, influenza and cancer, which have so far been driving mRNA vaccine applications," Glanville, who was not part of the research team, told Fox News Digital. The study shows how mRNA technologies can be rapidly applied to "novel threat areas," he confirmed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Following blowback from the mandates and rare but admittedly problematic side effects related to initial COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA as a platform has faced additional scrutiny to make sure that the next generation of vaccines to emerge from it has learned the lessons from the initial vaccines, and improved upon them," Glanville told Fox News Digital. "This research demonstrates yet another large application area for the technology." Potential limitations The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. "As with any pre-clinical study, it needs to be evaluated in a clinical study in order to assess its effectiveness in humans," he told Fox News Digital. In addition, the experimental mRNA vaccine is based on the "lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccine platform" that was recently approved for COVID-19 vaccines, Peer noted, which requires "cold chain logistics" (a supply chain that uses refrigeration). "Nevertheless, extensive studies are performed in our lab, focusing on lipid formulation stability optimization that will enable room-temperature storage," the researcher added. Looking ahead The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. This could be particularly beneficial for pathogenic (disease-causing) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines." "Due to excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs," said Peer. "Consequently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a real threat to human health worldwide. Developing a new type of vaccine may provide an answer to this global problem." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER As Peer pointed out, the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on years of mRNA research for similar viruses. "If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines." As this was a pre-clinical proof-of-concept study, Peer noted that several major milestones still need to be fulfilled before this vaccine could be considered for commercial rollout. However, he believes that in an emergency situation, the vaccine could be scaled up and prepared in a "relatively short time." For more Health articles, visit Peer concluded, "Beyond addressing the threat of plague outbreaks and potential bioterrorism, this study opens the door to developing mRNA vaccines against other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering a powerful new strategy to combat rising antimicrobial resistance and improve global pandemic preparedness." The study was supported by the European Research Council, the Israel Institute for Biological Research and the Shmunis Family Foundation. Print Close URL
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Arizona resident dies from pneumonic plague, health officials say
A person has died from pneumonic plague in Coconino county, Arizona, the first such death there since 2007 – though officials are saying the death is unrelated to a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area that may also be plague-related. 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Arizona resident dies from pneumonic plague, health officials say
A person has died from pneumonic plague in Coconino county, Arizona, the first such death there since 2007 – though officials are saying the death is unrelated to a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area that may also be plague-related. 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. 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.
