A New Mexico man has died from the plague, health officials said, marking the first death since 2020.
The man, who lived in Lincoln County in the southeastern part of the state, had been hospitalized with the disease before his death, the New Mexico Department of Health said in a press release last week.
No other identifying information about the man was available, including name, age, and race/ethnicity.
According to the CDC, plague is treatable with commonly available antibiotics, and patients are more likely to make a full recovery if they receive medical care early.
NMDOH said staff will be contacting residents in the area and conducting an environmental assessment of the community to determine risk.
The last known plague case in the state occurred in a Torrance County resident in 2021, according to the health department. In 2020, there were four human cases, including one fatality, in Santa Fe County, two in Torrance County, and Rio Arriba County.
A computer illustration of the plague bacterium is seen in an undated stock photo.
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Although the plague is often thought to have killed millions of Europeans in the Middle Ages, it is not a disease that has been eradicated, state public health veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps told ABC News.
“This is the same bacterium that caused the Black Death that decimated the population of Europe, and it certainly still exists. It's still prevalent in modern times,” she said.
Plague is a disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it occurs naturally in rural and semirural areas of the western United States, particularly in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
It usually affects wild rodents such as wall rats, ground squirrels, ground squirrels, mice, prairie dogs, and chipmunks. Humans can become infected with the disease through the bites of rodent fleas that carry the bacteria or through direct contact with plague-infected animals (such as pets).
Phipps said there are three types of plague. One is bubonic plague, which causes enlarged lymph nodes called buboes. Septicemic plague. It occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream. and pneumonic plague, where the infection invades the lungs.
Other symptoms usually include headache, fever, chills, and weakness.
“Bubonic plague has swollen lymph nodes, but other symptoms are [of plague] It’s similar to some other diseases,” Phipps said. “And that's part of the challenge. It's rare, so it doesn't always get people's attention.”
That's why it's so important to see a trained doctor to receive treatment, she said.
Before antibiotics, two-thirds of people infected with the plague died from the disease, Phipps said. Currently, only about 10% of people die from the plague.
To reduce the risk of plague, NMDOH recommends cleaning areas near your home where rodents may live, preventing pets from roaming or hunting, and making sure they don't attract rodents. We recommend putting away pet food and moving hay and wood away from your home as much as possible.
A computer illustration of the plague bacterium is seen in an undated stock photo.
Stock Photo/Getty Images
Additionally, sick pets should be seen by a veterinarian immediately, and any unexplained signs of illness should be consulted by a doctor.
“People don't realize that [plague] “This is not a disease of the past,” Phipps said, adding, “There are cases every year in the Western United States. We hope that by raising awareness, we can encourage early diagnosis and consent.”
She added: “There's no need to be overly concerned, but by keeping it under the radar, people who live in wild areas or near wild rodent populations, especially if they have indoor or outdoor pets. , it will help people take measures,” he added.
News of the New Mexico man's death comes just a month after an Oregon resident contracted the plague, likely from a pet cat, according to state health officials.
