New Mexico

New Mexico man dies of plague in state's 1st fatality since 2020: Officials

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2024

New Mexico man dies of plague in state's 1st fatality since 2020: Officials

A New Mexico man has died from plague in the state’s first human fatality since 2020, according to health officials.

The man lived in Lincoln County — located in the southeastern part of the state — and was hospitalized from the disease before dying, the New Mexico Department of Health said in a press release last week.

No other identifying information about the man was available, including his name, age or race/ethnicity.

Plague is treatable with commonly available antibiotics and the odds of full recovery are higher if a patient seeks medical care early, according to the CDC.

The NMDOH said staff members are reaching out to residents of the area and will be conducting an environmental assessment in the community to determine risk.

The last human plague case in the state was a resident of Torrance County in 2021, according to the health department. In 2020, there were four human cases including one in Santa Fe County, two in Torrance County and the fatal case in Rio Arriba County.

Although plague is often associated with killing millions of Europeans during the Middle Ages, it is not an eradicated disease, State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps told ABC News.

“This is the same bacteria that caused the Black Death that decimated the European population, and it is indeed still present. It does still circulate in the present day,” she said.

Plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It naturally occurs in the western U.S., particularly in rural and semi-rural areas of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It typically affects wild rodents including wood rats, rock squirrels, ground squirrels, mice, prairie dogs and chipmunks. Humans can contract the disease by being bitten by a rodent flea carrying the bacterium or by coming into direct contact with an animal infected with plague, which may include pets.

Phipps said there are three types of plague: bubonic plague, which is associated with enlarged lymph nodes called buboes; septicemic plague, which occurs when the bacteria enter the bloodstream; and pneumonic plague, which is when the infection enters the lungs.

Other symptoms typically include headache, fever, chills and weakness.

“Bubonic plague has the enlarged lymph nodes but otherwise, the symptoms [of plague] are similar to several other diseases,” Phipps said. “And that’s what some of the challenge is. Because it’s rare, it’s not always on people’s radar.”

She said this is why diagnosis from a trained physician is extremely important to receive treatment.

Before antibiotics, two-thirds of people who contracted plague died of the disease, according to Phipps. Currently, about 10% of people die from plague, she said.

To reduce the risk of plague, the NMDOH recommends cleaning up areas near the home where rodents could live, preventing pets from roaming and hunting, putting away pet food to not attract rodents and keeping hay and wood as far away from the house as possible.

Additionally, have a sick pet examined immediately by a veterinarian and talk to your doctor if you have signs of unexplained illness.

“People don’t realize that [plague] is not a disease of the past,” Phipps said. “We get cases in the western United States every year. We hope by increasing awareness, we can encourage early diagnosis and agreement.”

She added: “It’s not something to be overly anxious about, but by ensuring it stays on the radar, it will help … people take measures if they live in wild areas or near wild rodent populations, especially with indoor and outdoor pets.”

The news of the New Mexico man’s death comes just a month after an Oregon resident contracted plague, likely from their cat, according to health officials in the state.

Source link

New Mexico

NMSU to host public reading by New Mexico native Dec. 5

Published

44 minutes ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

NMSU to host public reading by New Mexico native Dec. 5

Joshua Wheeler was raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico and his work has been described as “lyrical and funny” as well as “poetic and highly entertaining.” One of the two books he will read excerpts from next month is about southern New Mexico.

As part of the Nelson-Boswell Reading Series, La Sociedad para Las Artes will host a public reading by Wheeler, a Louisiana State University professor, from his publications “Acid West: Essays” and “High Heaven: A Novel.”

The reading begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 in New Mexico State University’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171. A free reception will follow, where copies of Wheeler’s books will be available for purchase.

Wheeler is now based in New Orleans where he teaches creative writing at LSU. His debut novel “High Heaven” explores the evolution of faith and technology through the U.S.’s space age. His collection of essays “Acid West” follows the history of innovation and identity as seen from southern New Mexico – from cowboys and UFOs to nuclear testing and spaceports.

The Nelson-Boswell Reading Series invites visiting writers to NMSU to share their work with the community. La Sociedad para Las Artes is seeking to establish a permanent endowed fund through the NMSU Foundation whose earnings will support creative writing programs, including visiting writers and reading series as well as creative writing workshops for children in Las Cruces Public Schools.

-30-

CUTLINE: Louisiana State University assistant professor of creative writing Joshua Wheeler will read from “Acid West: Essays” and “High Heaven: A Novel” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 in New Mexico State University’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171 as part of NMSU’s Nelson-Boswell Reading Series hosted by La Sociedad para Las Artes. (Courtesy photo)

Source link

New Mexico

Rain starts moving into New Mexico tonight, with more rain and mountain snow through Thursday

Published

19 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

Rain starts moving into New Mexico tonight, with more rain and mountain snow through Thursday

Grant’s Tuesday Evening Forecast

A storm system will start bringing rain and thunderstorms into New Mexico tonight. More rain and mountain snow will expand across the state through Thursday.

It’s been another mild day across New Mexico Tuesday with high temperatures hovering near and above average again today. High clouds have been filtering some of the sunshine though as upper level moisture increases ahead of our next storm system. We will already start to see some rain develop in southwest and western New Mexico this evening. These rain and very high elevation snow showers will lift northward into more of New Mexico by Wednesday morning, bringing an isolated chance for precipitation to areas along and south of I-40, with a spotty precipitation chance in northern New Mexico. Scattered showers and storms will redevelop across the western half of New Mexico Wednesday afternoon. High temperatures will see little change Wednesday.

Lift associated with the storm system will increase across New Mexico Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. This will cause a big increase in rain and mountain snow form southwest New Mexico to the northern mountains. On and off showers, storms, and mountain snow will continue through the morning and early afternoon, bringing all of New Mexico a chance for rain. Some of the heaviest rain will fall in southern New Mexico, along with the Rio Grande Valley and into the northern mountains. Precipitation will wrap up from south to north through Thursday evening with some lingering rain and mountain snow in northern New Mexico into early Friday morning. Forecast rainfall amounts have been trending higher across the state, along with snow totals. At least a couple inches of snow is likely above 8,000′, with up 6″ above 9,000′. High temperatures will be much cooler Thursday.

Cooler air sticks around Friday with a slight warming trend this weekend. Another storm is possible by Sunday, which could bring back rain and mountain snow chances.

Source link