New Mexico reports third human plague case of 2013 in Santa Fe County man
The New Mexico Department of Health announced yesterday the third case of human plague of the year in a 52-year-old Santa Fe County man.
Health officials say there will be an environmental investigation at the man’s house to confirm whether or not others might be at risk of being infected.
This case follows the two cases reported in children in Torrance County. In August, a 15-year-old teenager contracted the potentially deadly bacterial disease and earlier this month, an 11-year-old girl was diagnosed with plague.
Related story: Congo, Madagascar top countries reporting most plague 2000-2009, US reports 57 cases
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. It is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with plague.
Plague is infamous for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages. Today, modern antibiotics are effective in treating plague. Without prompt treatment, the disease can cause serious illness or death. Presently, human plague infections continue to occur in the western United States, but significantly more cases occur in parts of Africa and Asia.
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Plague cycles in the US
Image/CDC
[…] a follow-up to yesterday’s report of a third case of human plague being confirmed in New Mexico, state health officials are reporting that all three cases were […]