In 2015, an eastern Colorado dog spread plague to four humans, including, his owner, the owner’s friend, and two veterinarians, causing the largest human outbreak of bubonic plague in the United States since 1924. Cats are particularly susceptible to plague and there have been a few reported cases of cat to human transmission. Humans mainly contract plague from fleas, but can also be exposed to the disease by handling the tissue or body fluids of an infected animal, or breathing in airborne droplets from the cough of an infected human or pet. As a “zoonotic” disease, it can infect both animals and humans, alike. ![]() Plague is not just a problem for animals. Wild rodents, such as prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and rats, are the most commonly infected animals and easily pass the disease along when bitten by a flea that then bites another animal. ![]() Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is transmitted from animal to animal by fleas. ![]() About eight cases of plague in humans are reported each year.īecause modern humans are most likely to contract the disease from a pet, preventing plague in pets is a critical step in protecting ourselves. According to the CDC, most human cases in the United States occur within locations in Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Nevada. When most of us think of plague, we think of the disease that spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, killing one-third of the population not an illness that we may actually have the potential of contracting in this day and age.Īlthough it is rare, animals and people can and do still contract plague. It’s not likely that contracting the plague is high on your list of concerns.
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