New Mexico
New Mexico man dies of the plague, in the US state's first fatal case of the disease since 2020
A man living in Lincoln County, New Mexico, has died of the plague, the state’s health department announced last Friday, making it the first fatal case of the disease in the US state since 2020.
The plague, which is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis and is estimated by some scientists to have wiped out more than 30 per cent of Europe’s population in the 14th century, occurs naturally in rural parts of the western United States, where it is carried by wild rodents including rock squirrels, wood rats, chipmunks, mice and rabbits.
It can be spread to humans by direct contact with infected animals, but is generally spread to humans through the bites of infected fleas.
Household pets that come into contact with local wildlife have also been known to spread it to humans, including a case in the west-coast state of Oregon last month in which a man who contracted the bubonic plague is believed to have caught it from his pet cat.
The New Mexico Department of Health did not release any specifics of the fatal case, such as the man’s name, age or ethnicity.
However, the department said staff were reaching out to residents of the area in which the man lived, and would conduct an environmental assessment of the area to determine if there was any ongoing risk.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the Lincoln County man who succumbed to the plague,” state public health veterinarian Erin Phipps said.
“This tragic incident serves as a clear reminder of the threat posed by this ancient disease and [emphasises] the need for heightened community awareness and proactive measures to prevent its spread.”
Plague still a danger in much of the world
The World Health Organization says people infected with plague usually develop acute symptoms after an incubation period of one to seven days, such as a sudden fever, chills, aching muscles, a headache and nausea.
Early diagnosis and treatment is vital, as common antibiotics are highly effective against plague bacteria, but cases that are left untreated have a high mortality rate.
Between 30 and 60 per cent of people infected with the bubonic plague, the most common form, will die, the WHO says, while the pneumonic plague — the lung-based form of the plague that can be spread from human to human — is always fatal if left untreated.
The plague is found on all continents except Australia, with epidemics occurring in Africa, Asia and South America over the past century.
While it is not present in Australia, it is a nationally notifiable disease and medical personnel are trained to be on the lookout for it, especially in returning international travellers.
The first known case of the disease in Australia was recorded in 1900 — a delivery man who worked at Sydney’s Central Wharf, which serviced ships that could have carried infected rats, according to the National Museum.
A quarantine program, along with the demolition of parts of the inner city and a rat extermination program, were instituted shortly afterwards.
By 1910, Australia had recorded 1,371 cases and 535 deaths from the plague, with most cases recorded in Sydney but some appearing as far away as north Queensland, Perth and Fremantle.
The last known case of plague in Australia is believed to have occurred in the 1920s.
GRANTS, N.M. – The City of Grants is canceling this year’s annual Christmas light parade, citing the safety of the public and their own officers.
Dozens of floats were supposed to roll down Santa Fe Avenue on Saturday night, but Grants police are holding off until next year after three incidents where someone shot at law enforcement officers.
“It was definitely a difficult decision, but due to the incident that took place on December 8, where law enforcement was shot at in the area of Santa Fe Avenue, we made that decision to protect the citizens of Grants,” says Grants Police Chief Maxine Monte.
She says a New Mexico State Police officer was shot at while making a traffic stop. The officer walked away uninjured, but this was too much for the chief.
“We’ve had three different incidents where law enforcement was shot at. One was May of 2025, the other one was August of 2025, and then the recent event of December 8 of 2025,” says Monte.
It’s not a risk the chief wants to take, and points out people would be standing exactly where the last shooting happened.
“We have a lot of citizens that attend our parade, and our main concern was that they were out in the open in the middle of the night, and in the same area that our latest shooting took place.”
Grant residents will be able to see the floats during the day on Saturday. But even some daylight isn’t convincing some residents.
“I’ll be staying home,” said Amy Brigdon. “There’s too many people in the world that want to see bad things happen to other people. I’m not one of them.”
Police still don’t have a suspect for this week’s attempted shooting. Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with the Grants Police Department.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife rereleased a wolf into Grand County this week after it had traveled into New Mexico, according to a news release.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish captured gray wolf 2403 and returned the animal to Colorado.
Colorado wildlife officials decided to release the wolf in Grand County yesterday because of the proximity to “an unpaired female gray wolf,” nearby prey populations and distance from livestock, according to the release.
“Gray wolf 2403 has been returned to Colorado and released in a location where it can best contribute to CPW’s efforts to establish a self-sustaining wolf population while concurrently attempting to minimize potential wolf-related livestock conflicts,” said acting director of CPW Laura Clellan, according to the release.
The wolf was once a member of the Copper Creek pack but departed from it this fall.
A memorandum of understanding between Colorado and Arizona, New Mexico and Utah requires that any gray wolves that leave Colorado and enter those states be returned. That was created in part to maintain the integrity of a Mexican wolf recovery program.
“We recognized during the planning process that we would need to have consideration and plans to protect the genetic integrity of the Mexican wolf recovery program, while also establishing a gray wolf population in Colorado,” said CPW’s Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell, according to the release.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A judge sentenced a New Mexico man to nearly 20 years in prison for distributing meth and having guns in his possession to use while doing so.
Court records indicate 43-year-old David Amaya sold meth from a trailer on his parents’ property in Anthony throughout July and August 2024. Agents executed a search warrant Aug. 22 and found 1.18 kilograms of meth, two firearms and ammunition in the trailer and a makeshift bathroom.
Amaya pleaded guilty to possession of meth with intent to distribute it. A judge sentenced him to 235 months in prison.
Once he is out, Amaya will face five years of supervised release.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Las Cruces Metro Narcotics Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams prosecuted it.
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