ARIZONA REPORTS FIRST PLAGUE DEATH (SINCE 2007)
What is the News?
- A resident of Coconino County, Arizona, died from pneumonic plague in July 2025.
- This is the 1st death from plague in Arizona since 2007, where the previous case was linked to contact with an infected animal.
- The patient died within the same day of being admitted to Flagstaff Medical Center, despite emergency care.
- Tests confirmed infection with Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium that caused the Black Death in medieval Europe.
WHAT IS PLAGUE?
- Plague is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
- It mainly affects rodents, small mammals, and their fleas, but can be transmitted to humans.
- Historically called the “Black Death”, it was responsible for the death of over 50 million people in 14th-century Europe — nearly one-third to half of the continent’s population.
- In modern times, plague is rare, treatable, and monitored by public health systems.
FORMS OF PLAGUE
WHAT IS PNEUMONIC PLAGUE?
- Pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection caused by Yersinia pestis.
- It can:
- Develop when bubonic/septicemic plague goes untreated.
- Be directly inhaled via respiratory droplets from an infected person/animal.
- Highly contagious and often fatal if not treated within 24 hours.
- Requires urgent antibiotic therapy and isolation of the patient to prevent spread.
According to the CDC (U.S.) and WHO:
- The disease is rare in modern times but considered a potential public health emergency.
- Countries like the UK, as of 2025, report very low to negligible risk of outbreaks due to improved hygiene, medical infrastructure, and surveillance.
PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE & PREVENTION
Prevention Strategies:
- Avoid contact with dead or wild animals.
- Use DEET-based insect repellents to prevent flea bites.
- Wear gloves when handling potentially infected animals/tissues.
- Avoid contact with symptomatic individuals in outbreak areas.
- Surveillance and prompt reporting of symptoms in plague-prone zones.
Arizona Public Health Measures:
- Contact tracing and health checks for those exposed.
- Increased flea and rodent surveillance.
- Public advisories on avoiding wildlife and dead animals.
IS PLAGUE STILL A GLOBAL THREAT?
- While largely eradicated in developed countries, sporadic outbreaks still occur globally:
- Madagascar (2017): over 2,000 cases, including pneumonic plague.
- Congo, Peru, Mongolia, and parts of the U.S. (Southwest) report occasional zoonotic outbreaks
- Climate change and human encroachment into wildlife habitats may increase the risk of zoonotic spillovers.
- WHO lists plague under “re-emerging infectious diseases” that need constant surveillance.
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