2024-02-15 17:28:50
A rare case of bubonic plague has been reported in the US state of Oregon. A person probably got infected from his pet cat, CNN reported, quoted by bTV.
Health officer Dr Richard Fawcett said the man and his pet had been treated early in the illness.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that antibiotics such as gentamicin and fluoroquinolones were administered.
Health officials say there is little risk to Deschutes County residents.
The Black Death in Medieval Europe killed millions and devastated the continent. Nowadays, this disease is less and less common.
“The reason bubonic plague hasn’t been eliminated is because the bacteria can infect animals, and they themselves have no way of being treated in the wild. Sometimes animals manage to infect a limited number of human cases,” said Dr. Dan Baruch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
According to him, cats and dogs can be infected quite easily. Squirrels, chipmunks, rodents are usually the animals that become infected in the wild, Baruch added.
About seven cases of bubonic plague are reported each year in the United States, mostly in rural areas, according to the CDC.
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. People can usually become infected after being bitten by a flea that carries the bacteria or after encountering an infected animal. Symptoms usually appear in people about two to eight days after infection and include painful, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, chills and weakness.
If the condition is not diagnosed early, it can progress to bloodstream or lung infections. These severe forms of the disease are more difficult to treat.
“Plague is easily recognized and treated with antibiotics these days,” said Dr. Harish Murjani, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health.