Health
Bubonic plague in the US: Do you need to worry about catching the rodent-borne disease?
After a case of bubonic plague was confirmed in Oregon earlier this week, some people may wonder if there’s a danger of the disease spreading in the U.S.
The Oregon resident, who was the first to contract the infection since 2015, reportedly caught the infection from a pet cat, according to state health officials.
Experts shared with Fox News Digital what people should know about the infectious disease — including how to recognize symptoms, seek out treatment and prevent infection in the first place.
‘ARCTIC ZOMBIE VIRUSES’ COULD BE RELEASED BY CLIMATE CHANGE FROM THAWING PERMAFROST, SOME SCIENTISTS CLAIM
What is bubonic plague?
The bubonic plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium that was likely first introduced in North America around 1900 from rats on ships coming from South Asia, according to Timothy Brewer, M.D., professor of medicine and epidemiology at UCLA.
Since its introduction 120 years ago, the bubonic plague has become endemic in ground squirrels and rodents in the rural Southwestern U.S. (iStock)
“Since its introduction 120 years ago, it has become endemic in ground squirrels and rodents in the rural Southwestern U.S.,” he told Fox News Digital.
Though the plague has most recently been found in Oregon, most cases occur around the “Four Corners” area of the Southwest — the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona and northwestern corner of New Mexico — primarily between late spring and early fall.
MEASLES OUTBREAKS IN US, UK HAVE HEALTH AGENCIES ON HIGH ALERT: ‘BE VIGILANT’
Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, Maryland, noted that the Oregon case was a rare occurrence, but that it is important to recognize that plague is endemic to the western part of the United States and that pets can be exposed via rodents or other animals.
“However, this is not something that the general public needs to worry very much about,” he also told Fox News Digital.
Initial symptoms of the disease include fever, chills, a headache, weakness and the characteristic painful and swollen lymph nodes. (iStock)
Although the disease can affect people of all ages, half the cases involve patients between the ages of 12 and 45, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Globally, between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of plague are reported to the World Health Organization each year, although only an average of seven annual cases of are reported in the U.S.
Spread and symptoms
Yersinia is usually transmitted by one of three ways, according to Brewer.
“Those include being bitten by an infected flea, handling an infected animal (such as skinning a ground squirrel), or by breathing in dust contaminated by dried rodent urine or feces with the bacteria,” he said.
For people who live in a plague-endemic area of the U.S., one infectious diseases expert said they should be mindful that their dogs may encounter animals that could have the plague, such as prairie dogs. (iStock)
Erica Susky, a certified infection control practitioner based in Canada, said symptoms typically develop two to eight days after the initial exposure to the bacterium.
“It begins with fever, chills, a headache, weakness and the characteristic painful and swollen lymph nodes called buboes,” she told Fox News Digital. “The buboes form at the site of the bite from the infected rodent or flea.”
Anyone with these symptoms should seek immediate medical treatment if they have been exposed to an animal, generally a rodent or flea, Susky advised.
“The best way to avoid the disease is to avoid rodents in rural and semi-rural dry areas in the western U.S.”
“Bubonic plague is a serious infectious illness alone, but can also develop quickly into more severe and deadly forms of plague,” she warned.
“More serious forms include pneumonic and septicemic plague, which is where the bacteria invade the lungs and bloodstream,” Susky said.
With pneumonic plague, the patient experiences a cough, shortness of breath and chest pain, and it can end in respiratory failure, shock and death.
Septicemic plague results in shock and often death.
The Oregon resident, who was the first to contract the infection since 2015, reportedly caught the infection from a pet cat (not pictured), according to state health officials. (iStock)
The initial telltale symptom of the plague is an extremely swollen lymph node, according to Adalja.
“The danger is when the bacteria spreads from the involved lymph node systemically,” he warned. “It is critical to seek medical attention to prevent the infection from spreading.”
Treatment and prevention
Plague can be life-threatening if left untreated, Brewer said; but if diagnosed in time, it can be treated effectively with antibiotics, typically gentamicin or fluoroquinolones.
In patients with pneumonic plague, the CDC recommends starting a course of antibiotics within 24 hours of the start of symptoms.
Plague can be life-threatening if left untreated, but if diagnosed in time, it can be treated effectively with antibiotics. (iStock)
“The best way to avoid the disease is to avoid rodents in rural and semi-rural dry areas in the western U.S.,” Brewer advised.
“Be careful about cleaning out rodent nests, airing out cabins that have been closed up for the season, or other activities where contaminated dust could be stirred up and inhaled.”
For those who live in a plague-endemic area of the U.S., Adalja said they should be mindful that their dogs may encounter animals that could have plague, such as prairie dogs.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Keeping them leashed when they’re in areas where other animals might be present is something that individuals can do to prevent [transmission],” he said.
Brewer recommends keeping cats indoors to prevent them from picking up infected fleas, as well as using flea medications for cats and dogs.
Bubonic plague smear demonstrating the presence of Yersinia pestis bacteria, 1965. Bipolar staining of a plague smear prepared from lymph aspirated from an adenopathic lymph node, or bubo, of a plague patient. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
“Plague is a dramatic but relatively rare disease,” Brewer said.
“Using common sense about avoiding rodents and keeping rodents away from pets and habitats in the Southwest U.S. should be sufficient prevention for most people.”
Susky agreed, adding, “Plague, though a serious infectious illness, is a smaller concern, as many people are much more likely to get infections from other bacteria and viruses.”
“However, it is still important to be aware of areas where plague can occur in larger numbers, which would be in the Western U.S.”
There is no vaccine currently available for bubonic plague.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eating too much salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but new research suggests it could trick the immune system into prematurely aging the blood vessels.
A preclinical study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified a biological chain reaction that links a salty diet to cardiovascular decay.
Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.
HIGH SALT INTAKE LINKED TO FASTER MEMORY DECLINE IN ONE GROUP, STUDY FINDS
After just four weeks of high sodium intake, the small arteries responsible for regulating blood flow lost their ability to relax, according to a press release.
The team found that the cells lining these vessels had entered a state of cellular senescence, a form of premature cellular aging in which cells stop dividing and release a mix of inflammatory signals that can damage surrounding tissue.
Excess salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but a new study goes deeper into its effects on the cardiovascular system. (iStock)
The researchers tried to replicate this damage by exposing blood vessel cells directly to salt in a laboratory dish, but the cells showed no harmful effects.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
This suggests that salt isn’t directly causing damage to the vascular lining but that the real culprit may be the body’s own defense mechanism, the researchers noted.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16, which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study. (iStock)
Once these cells age, they fail to produce nitric oxide, the essential gas that tells arteries to dilate and stay flexible.
To test whether this process could be reversed, the team turned to a class of experimental drugs known as senolytics.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Using a cancer medication called navitoclax, which selectively clears out aged and dysfunctional cells, the researchers were able to restore nearly normal blood vessel function in the salt-fed mice, the release stated.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ.
By removing the decaying cells created by the high-salt diet, the drug allowed the remaining healthy tissue to maintain its elasticity and respond correctly to blood flow demands.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system into stopping the cells from dividing, the study suggests. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations. The transition from mouse models to human treatment remains a significant hurdle, the team cautioned.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Senolytic drugs like navitoclax are still being studied for safety, and the team emphasized that previous trials have shown mixed results regarding their impact on artery plaque.
Additionally, the researchers have not yet confirmed whether the same IL-16 pathway is the primary driver of vascular aging in humans.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests.
The observational study, led by Jorge Nieva, M.D., of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine, was presented this month at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego. It has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Researchers looked at dietary, smoking and demographic data for 187 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer at age 50 or younger.
PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT SURVIVAL DOUBLED WITH HIGH DOSE OF COMMON VITAMIN, STUDY FINDS
They found that among non-smokers, there was a link between healthier-than-average diets – rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and the chance of lung cancer development.
Young lung cancer patients ate more servings of dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains compared to the average U.S. adult, the researchers found.
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests. (iStock)
The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association.
“Commercially produced (non-organic) fruits, vegetables and whole grains are more likely to be associated with a higher residue of pesticides than dairy, meat and many processed foods,” according to Nieva. He also noted that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides tend to have higher rates of lung cancer.
HIDDEN VIRUS INSIDE GUT BACTERIA LINKED TO DOUBLED COLORECTAL CANCER RISK, STUDY FINDS
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” Nieva told Fox News Digital.
The disease is becoming more common in non-smokers 50 and younger, especially women – despite the fact that smoking rates have been falling for decades, the researcher noted.
The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association. (iStock)
“These patients tend to have eaten much healthier diets before their diagnosis than the average American,” he went on. “We need to support research into understanding why Americans – and women in particular – who no longer smoke very much are still having lung cancer,” he said.
DEATHS FROM ONE TYPE OF CANCER ARE SURGING AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREES
The study did have some limitations, Nieva acknowledged, primarily that it relied on survey data and was limited by the participants’ memories of their food intake.
“Also, the survey participants were self-selected, and this could have biased the findings,” he told Fox News Digital.
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking.”
The researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides, relying instead on average pesticide levels for certain types of food. Looking ahead, they plan to test patients’ blood and urine samples to directly measure pesticide levels, Nieva said.
Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“This work represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults,” said Nieva. “Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future investigation into lung cancer prevention.”
“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but is by no means certain,” a doctor said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the study is “interesting,” but that it “raises far more questions than it answers.”
“It is a small study (around 150) and observational, so no proof,” the doctor, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but it is by no means certain,” Siegel went on. “How much exposure is needed? How much of it gets into food and in which areas? This requires much further study.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Kayla Nichols, communications director for Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network, a distributed global network, said the organization agrees with the study’s conclusion that more research should be done on the rise in lung cancer, particularly in individuals eating diets higher in produce and fiber.
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” the researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“There is a bounty of existing research that already links pesticide exposure to increased risk of multiple types of cancers,” Nichols, who was also not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. She called for more research on chronic, low-level exposures to pesticides, as well as more effective policies to protect the public from pesticide residues on food.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as industry partners including AstraZeneca and Genentech, among others.
Fox News Digital reached out to several pesticide companies and trade groups for comment.
-
Washington, D.C54 seconds ago11 hurt after work vehicle collides with Silver Line train at Metro Center
-
Cleveland, OH7 minutes agoHouston Astros at Cleveland Guardians prediction, pick for Tuesday 4/21/26
-
Austin, TX13 minutes agoAppeals court rules Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in class
-
Alabama19 minutes agoAlabama Defeated By Birmingham
-
Alaska25 minutes agoHawaiian, Alaska reservation systems merge: Big changes for travelers start April 22
-
Arizona31 minutes agoMichigan defenseman Hunter Hady transfers to Arizona State
-
Arkansas37 minutes ago
#24 Arkansas Explodes for Eight Runs in Eighth to Race past Missouri State in Midweek Rematch
-
California43 minutes agoCalifornia Islamic calligraphy artist preserves ancient tradition during Arab American Heritage Month
