Third Cat Tests Positive for Bubonic Plague in Wyoming

For the third time in recent months, a cat has tested positive for bubonic plague in Wyoming, the state's Department of Health reports.


For the third time in recent months, a cat has tested positive for bubonic plague in Wyoming, the state's Department of Health reports. No human cases have been identified, but health officials warn the disease can be passed to people from infected animals, 10TV.com reported.
 

The most recent case involved a cat in the small town of Kaycee. Officials said the animal was known to wander outdoors. The disease was confirmed by the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie.

This is the third plague-infected cat identified in Wyoming over the past six months. The other infected animals were in Sheridan and Campbell counties.

Cases of human plague are extremely rare, but do occur. On average, there are seven human plague cases in the United States each year.
 

Plague is caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis, which is spread through the bite of fleas carried by infected rodents. The disease occurs naturally in areas of the western and southwestern United States, officials say.

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Source: 10TV.com