A person in Arizona died from the pneumonic plague, health officials announced on Friday.
The pneumonic plague, which occurs when the bacteria Yersinia pestis enters a person’s lungs, is both “the least common and most dangerous plague type”, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The three main types of plague are rare in modern times. A guy, bubonic plague was the main cause of the 14th century black death pandemic, which left a trace of death and devastation across Europe. From now on, around 1,000 to 2,000 people around the world are diagnosed each year with the plague, according to the Cleveland Clinic. About seven cases are reported in the United States each year.
It is not known when the person in Arizona has died, but the County County Health Department said in a press release that he had received test results on Friday which confirmed that the patient had had a pneumonic plague.
Here’s what you need to know about the pneumonic plague.
Where do most cases of plague occur and that risk the most infection?
In recent years, the plague has most often been found in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. It remains endemic in certain countries, mainly the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Peru.
“In the United States, you are more likely to obtain plague in rural areas of Western states,” said Cleveland Clinic. “You are more at risk if you work with animals in an area where the plague is found.”
How does pneumonic plague spread?
Pneumonic plague is the only type of plague that can be transmitted from one person to another, according to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention American (CDC). According to the Cleveland Clinic. But a person could also obtain the disease after close contact with an animal infected with them, or bacteria moving from another part of the body to the lungs.
In general, the plague generally propagates through the bites of fleas which had bitten an animal infected with bacteria.
According to the CDC, US officials have not documented the propagation of the person’s scourge in the country since 1924, but “there are rare cases of pneumonic plague in people exposed to sick cats”. Cats, the CDC, said on its website, “are particularly sensitive to plague and can be infected with the consumption of infected rodents.”
How can I protect myself against this?
The Cleveland Clinic advises people to minimize their risk of plague by avoiding flea bites and showing caution around animals that could be infected with bacteria. The clinic recommends taking measures, in particular to carry an insectuge with deet, to wear gloves when they deal with animals that could be infected and not to allow pets to walk outside if they are located in an area known to have a plague.
A plague vaccine is not currently available in the United States, according to the CDC. While scientists are working to develop such vaccines in the United States, they said the CDC, they should not be available in trade in the immediate future “.
Globally, the World Health Organization recommends vaccination against plague only for high -risk groups, including health workers and people working in laboratories that are constantly risking.
