Oregon
Oregon resident catches rare bubonic plague, likely from their cat: Health officials
A pet owner has caught a rare case of the bubonic plague, health officials in central Oregon say, and it’s believed they may have caught it from their cat.
The Deschutes County Health Services confirmed the case of the plague in a local resident last week. The resident was likely “infected by their symptomatic pet cat,” health officials said in a Feb. 7 press release.
“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” Dr. Richard Fawcett, Deschutes County health officer, said in the release.
The case is the first example of the bubonic plague in Oregon since 2015, according to the state’s health authority, and plague is “rare” in the state.
Deschutes County Health officials said the case was “fortunately” identified and treated in its early stages, “posing little risk to the community.”
“No additional cases of plague have emerged during the communicable disease investigation,” health officials said in the release.
How does bubonic plague spread?
The plague spreads to humans or animals through a bite from an infected flea or by contact with an animal sick with the disease, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
To prevent the spread of the plague, Deschutes County Health Services urged residents to avoid all contact with rodents and their potential fleas, and to never touch sick, injured or dead rodents.
Residents should also not allow pets to approach sick or dead rodents or explore rodent burrows, county health officials said.
What are symptoms of bubonic plague?
Symptoms of plague usually begin in humans two to eight days after exposure to an infected animal or flea, according to the health authority.
Symptoms may include a sudden onset of fever, nausea, weakness, chills, muscle aches and/or visibly swollen lymph nodes called buboes, the state health authority said.
Is bubonic plague treatable?
The plague is a very serious illness but is treatable with antibiotics, usually taken for seven to 14 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated, people can still die from the plague, the CDC says.
The bubonic plague dates back to the Middle Ages, when it killed millions in Europe, before the age of antibiotics. At the time, people didn’t realize the plague was carried by the fleas that lived on rats.
According to the CDC, the plague was first introduced in the United States in 1900 by rat-infested steamships. It is most common in the western U.S.
In August 2020, a California resident tested positive for a case of the plague, marking the first human occurrence of the disease in the state in five years.
The resident in South Lake Tahoe who tested positive for the plague was an avid walker, and officials believed they may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog along the Truckee River Corridor, El Dorado County said in a statement at the time.
Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.
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DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. — Oregon State Police are asking for additional witnesses to come forward after a three-vehicle crash on Highway 20E in Deschutes County left two people seriously injured.
Troopers responded at 12:47 p.m. Friday, July 10, to the crash near milepost 41. A preliminary investigation found a westbound 2013 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck pulling a single-axle utility trailer attempted to pass a black Dodge 4500 towing a trailer. Police said an eastbound Hyundai Elantra tried to avoid a collision with the Chevrolet, lost control in the gravel on the eastbound shoulder, veered into the westbound lane and collided with the trailer pulled by the Dodge 4500.
The driver and passenger of the Hyundai were flown by air medic to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The crash affected traffic for about five hours. The driver of the Chevrolet was cited for careless driving and unsafe passing.
OSP is asking anyone who may have seen the Chevrolet driving westbound on Highway 20 at the moment of, or prior to, the collision to contact the OSP Northern Command Center dispatch at 800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Callers should reference case number SP26-255130.
The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday declined to review the Oregon Court of Appeals’ decision upholding Multnomah County’s ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products.
Legal challenges have so far delayed the ordinance from taking effect since it was passed four years ago. It was not immediately clear when the ban would go into effect.
“Flavors are one of Big Tobacco’s biggest tricks to hook the next generation of Oregonians on their deadly products,” Christina Bodamer, who leads the Western states region of the American Heart Association, said following the court’s decision.
The Board of County Commissioners originally approved the ordinance banning flavored tobacco and nicotine products in December 2022 to take effect Jan. 1, 2024. But the ordinance hit a roadblock: a court challenge by the 21+ Tobacco and Vapor Retail Association of Oregon, e-cigarette retailer No Moke Daddy LLC, and vape shop owner Paul Bates.
It has been working its way through the state court system since. The Multnomah County Circuit Court upheld the ban in September 2023. The state Court of Appeals continued the pause on implementation February 2024, before upholding the ban in an April 2025 decision. The Supreme Court’s denial of review marks the end of the saga.
The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to a similar restriction in Washington County in May. That now sets up both ordinances to go into effect, which will together ban flavored tobacco and nicotine for one-third of Oregonians. A similar ban failed in the Oregon Legislature in 2025, dying in committee.
Tobacco use is the top cause of preventable death and disease in Oregon, according to the Oregon Health Authority. More than 8,000 Oregonians die from tobacco use each year.
Supporters of the ban argue that flavored tobacco acts as a gateway for underage use. According to Flavors Hook Oregon Kids, a coalition of more than 60 organizations that support the ban, 81% of Oregonian kids who’ve used tobacco started with flavored products. And flavored products are much more popular among kids and young adults than older adults, OHA says.
Richard Burke, executive director of the 21+ Tobacco and Vapor Retail Association of Oregon, tells WW the group is disappointed that the Supreme Court did not take up the case. He argues that banning flavored tobacco “has effectively granted a monopoly to the black market,” where flavored products are often laced with more dangerous substances.
“We agree with the goal of keeping these products out of the hands of minors,” Burke says. “But this is an overcorrection that will result in unintended consequences as has been shown by attempts to institute flavor bans in other parts of the country.”
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