Bubonic Plague Surfaces

Another case of the plague has occurred in the U.S., officials say — and this time it’s not out west.

A Michigan resident who recently returned home from Colorado has come down with bubonic plague, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday. This is the first known report of a Michigan resident contracting the plague, according to the department.





Officials believe the patient may have contracted the disease from a flea or after having contact with a dead animal, which is how the plague is commonly transferred to humans. The plague naturally occurs in Utah and is typically seen in the prairie dog populations each year, officials said in a press release. The disease is caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria.

That news came less than 10 days after officials in California announced that a Georgia resident who camped at California’s Yosemite National Park fell ill with what is believed to be the plague. That was the second case in August of a person contracting the plague after visiting the park.

The first was a child who went to the hospital with the plague after camping at Yosemite.

There have been two plague-related deaths in Colorado alone this summer. One adult died in early August after contracting the plague from an unknown source. The Pueblo City-County Health Department has not revealed his or her identity but said the person may have developed the disease after coming into contact with fleas on a dead rodent or other animal. The department also noted that a dead prairie dog in the western part of the county tested positive for the disease.

The rodent population may be looking for more food sources in campgrounds because of the drought, he says, or fleas may jump from animals that are dying due to the drought onto humans. “It likely has to do with a whole host of factors,” he says.

However, he expects plague cases to dwindle shortly, as the weather turns colder and people spend less time outdoors. Plague cases are typically seasonal, with most occurring between late spring and early fall.

Symptoms can vary depending on the type of plague a person contracts. But a high fever is present in nearly all cases, as well as flulike symptoms. People with pneumonic plague may also develop a bloody cough, and those who contract bubonic plague usually experience painful swollen lymph nodes.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/bubonic-plague-surfaces-in-michigan-for-first-time-133657805.html

See Also: http://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html