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.