istock | Dr_Microbe
As reported by CNN, a person in Deschutes County, Ore., has been diagnosed with a case of bubonic plague, making them the state’s first confirmed case of this rare bacterial infection since 2015.
The person was probably infected by their cat, and “all close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” Dr. Richard Fawcett, the Deschutes County health officer, said in a statement last week.
The infected person was “treated in the earlier stages of the disease,” according to the statement, and poses “little risk” to the community.
About seven human plague cases are reported each year in the United States, primarily in rural Southwest and Northwest areas, according to the CDC.
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Humans usually get it after being bitten by a flea that is carrying the bacterium or after encountering an infected animal.
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