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Should You Worry About Bubonic Plague?

A case reported in Colorado has renewed interest in this rare disease. Here’s what to know

By

Peter Urban,

 
AARP
Comments
Published February 13, 2024
/ Updated July 09, 2024
a house cat hunts outdoors in the tall grass
Getty Images

Centuries before the coronavirus pandemic, the Black Death swept through Europe killing perhaps half its population. Given the deadly result of that 14th-century pandemic, it is not surprising that even a single case raises fears.

However, those fears shouldn’t be overblown. Bubonic plague, which is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is a rarity today. In any given year, only a handful of cases are reported in the United States and most people recover from infection.

In Colorado, health officials are investigating a human case of plague in Pueblo County based on preliminary test results, according to a press release issued by the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment.

Earlier this year, a case of plague was confirmed on Feb. 7 in Oregon, about 200 miles southeast of Portland. Deschutes County Health Services issued a press release saying that a local resident had likely been infected by their symptomatic pet cat. The case — the first in the state since 2015 — was caught early and does not pose a threat to the community, according to health officials.

How plague is transmitted

The most common animals to carry plague in Central Oregon are squirrels and chipmunks, but mice and other rodents can also carry the disease. In other parts of the western United States, wood rats, prairie dogs, voles and rabbits may also be infected with the bacterium. These infected animals and their fleas serve as long-term reservoirs for the bacteria.

Plague bacteria are most often transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected flea that can come from a wild animal or can be carried into your home by a pet that has been exposed to a wild animal outdoors. It is also possible to get infected by handling a dead animal that carries the plague, according to the CDC.

It is possible for a person who has plague to spread it to others through cough droplets. However, the last known case in the United States occurred in 1924. Human-to-human transmission still happens with some frequency in developing countries, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of bubonic plague and treatment

A person can develop bubonic plague about two to eight days after exposure. The symptoms include:

  • Sudden onset of fever
  • Nausea
  • Weakness
  • Chills
  • Muscle aches
  • Visibly swollen lymph nodes called buboes

Plague can take different forms depending on how a person is exposed to the bacteria, according to the CDC. Common forms of plague other than bubonic plague are septicemic plague and pneumonic plague.

Antibiotics are available to treat bubonic plague, but left untreated it can lead to bloodstream and lung infections that are more severe and difficult to cure.

Plague cases in the United States

An average of seven cases of plague are reported annually in the United States. It is most commonly found in the Southwestern states, particularly New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. Since antibiotics were developed, the mortality rate among infected people has dropped from 66 percent to 11 percent, according to CDC.

If you live or are traveling in rural or semirural areas where plague bacteria may be present, these tips from the CDC can help protect you from contracting the disease.

  1. Never touch sick, injured or dead rodents. Better yet, avoid contact with all wild rodents and their fleas.
  2. Avoid animal burrows or areas where dead rodents are observed.
  3. Do not feed squirrels, chipmunks or other wild rodents.
  4. On hikes or walks outdoors, wear long pants to reduce your exposure to fleas. You may also want to apply insect repellent to socks and pant cuffs.
  5. Keep pets on a leash when outdoors and use flea control products. Keep your cat or dog away from sick or dead rodents and don’t let them explore rodent burrows.
  6. Cats are particularly susceptible to bubonic plague, so if your cat becomes sick after being in contact with a rodent consult a veterinarian immediately.

Editor's note: This story, originally published February 13, 2024, has been updated to reflect new information.

Peter Urban is a contributing writer and editor who focuses on health news. Urban spent two decades working as a correspondent in Washington, D.C., including a stint as Washington bureau chief for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and for daily newspapers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, California and Arkansas, His freelance work has appeared in Scientific American, Bloomberg Government and CTNewsJunkie.com.

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