Bubonic Plague Case Detected In The US. (Image credits: iStock)
In what comes as a terrifying news, a case of the deadly bubonic plague has been detected in the US. According to the locals, it is unclear how the anonymous person from Colorado contacted the disease. It is usually spread through bites from fleas and infected animals. Many scientists previously found samples of the bacteria living in squirrels in the state.
For those who don’t know, the disease left sufferers coughing up blood and was responsible for the Black Death in medieval Europe. It took millions of lives. Ever since then, the plague has become very rare in the US and Europe, thanks to the lifestyle changes that prevent it from spreading to humans.
However, cases usually continue to show up in rural areas of the US, including northern Arizona, southern Colorado and southern Oregon.
In February, the case was detected in Oregon. The person, who was assumed to have got the plague from their cat, was the first confirmed case since 2015. As per an official statement released by the Deschutes County Health officials, the person was probably infected by their pet cat, who was symptomatic for the disease. All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” added the statement.
More about Bubonic Plague
Also known as Black Death, the Bubonic Plague is an infectious disease that can affect mammals. The disease is transmitted through fleas infected with the Yersinia pestis bacteria. The Bubonic Plague was responsible for over 50 million deaths in Europe during the medieval ages and caused one of the deadliest pandemics in human history.
Symptoms of the Bubonic Plague include – fever, nausea, weakness, chills and muscle aches. If the infection is not detected early, it can progress to septicemic plague — an infection of the bloodstream — or pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs.
In February, the case was identified and treated in the earlier stages of the disease, posing little risk to the community. “No additional cases of plague have emerged during the communicable disease investigation,” the official statement said.
Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine, while speaking to media said, “Plague has always been with us, and nowadays, it rarely causes big outbreaks.” He further added, “But when it does, it is usually because the infection spread from animals living with humans.”