Public health officials in Colorado identified an adult human case of plague, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) reported Tuesday.
The adult, of Montezuma County, might have been exposed to the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, on private property, according to a CDPHE press release. The CDPHE was working with the Montezuma County Public Health Department to investigate and monitor the disease occurrence within the county and state, the release stated.
Plague, frequently detected in squirrels, woodrats, chipmunks, and particularly prairie dogs, is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected fleas or by direct contact with infected animals and persons, the press release reported. Prairie dogs often serve as a visible alert that plague may be present if they suddenly disappear, as they are above-ground animals.
Plague manifests in nonspecific signs and symptoms such as fever, headache, weakness, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, and chills. The bubonic form of the disease is characteristically marked by inflamed lymph nodes, while the pneumonic form appears as an illness similar to but more serious than the flu, with the coughing up of blood, nausea, and stomach pain, according to the release. (RELATED: CDC Issues Health Alert Over Recent Cases Of Disease Last Seen 20 Years Ago)
Plague case reported in southwest Colorado https://t.co/5m2YxVodjw
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The disease can be treated by several types of antibiotics, according to the press release. Prevention is by the use of veterinary-approved flea control products for humans and pets, avoiding contact with wild rodents, practicing hygiene and sanitation, and notifying health officials and veterinarians in the event of illness with high fever and abscesses or the sudden disappearance of prairie dogs or a spike in sightings of dead squirrels, the release advised. Residents should avoid killing prairie dogs as that could increase the risk of transmission, per the release.
Fleas in Colorado commonly test positive for plague activity in the summer, according to a separate CDPHE press release. While humans rarely contract the disease, a 10-year-old child in the state reportedly died from “causes associated with plague” in July 2021.
The bubonic plague, which caused up to 200 million fatalities in the 14th century and reappeared in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, is the world’s most devastating pandemic, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, the global risk posed by the disease in modern times is generally low due to improved hygiene and healthcare standards, per the NIH. Still, it could recur in pandemic proportions if Y. pestis becomes drug-resistant. The bacterium could also be used as a bioterror weapon, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).