Peru teen dies from pneumonic plague
A 17-year-old boy in the La Libertad region in northwestern Peru has died from a case of pneumonic plague, according to a diario16 report Dec. 10.
Image/CIA
The unnamed victim lived with his family in the village of Mocan, located in the district of Casa Grande, in the province of Ascope.
A “health brigade” has been sent to the area to conduct a campaign to prevent insect and bacteria “Yersinia Pestis” from spreading.
Pneumonic plague is probably the most serious form of plague and it’s when the bacteria infect the lungs and cause pneumonia. It is contracted when the bacteria is inhaled (primary) or develops when bubonic or septicemic plague spreads to the lungs.
Pneumonic plague is contagious and can be transmitted person to person. It is highly communicable under appropriate climate conditions, overcrowding and cool temperatures. Untreated pneumonic plague is frequently fatal.
Related story: My list of the five deadliest communicable diseases
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