NBC News
A person died in Arizona because of the bubonic plague, local health authorities reported on Friday.
The patient, unidentified, appeared at the Emergency Department of the Flagstaff Medical Center hospital and died right there the same day, Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) reported in a statement. It is not clear when death occurred.
The hospital said that he gave the person an “adequate initial treatment” and “resuscitation attempts to save his life” were performed, but “the patient did not recover.”
The bubonic plague, a disease known for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages, is rare today.
However, cases in rural areas of the west of the United States are reported every year, as well as in certain regions of Africa and Asia, according to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC).
The disease is caused by bacteria Yersinia Pestis And it does not only affect people, but also other mammals.
The symptoms usually appear within two to six days of having infected. These include fever, inflammation and pain in lymph nodes, which are usually found in armpits, groin and neck.
Every year an average of seven bubonic plague cases in the United States are recorded, but they are not always mortal, according to CDC data between 2000 and 2023.
In the case of Arizona, the disease was detected after performing the sick person of rapid diagnostic tests.
Humans usually infected through flea bites of rodents or by manipulating an infected animal, according to CDC. It can be easily cured if antibiotics are administered in time.
The Hospital is working with the Department of Health and Human Services of Coconino County and the Arizona Health Services Department to investigate the case.
“The NAH reminds anyone who suspects that he has a contagious disease that will contact their health care provider. If their illness is serious, they must go to the Emergency Room and immediately ask for a mask to prevent propagation while accessing prompt and crucial attention,” said the hospital.
At the beginning of the week, the Department of Health and Human Services of the Coconino County (CCHHS) reported the death of several dogs in the Towsend Winona area, to the northeast of Flagstaff, which according to the authorities “can be a bubonic plague indicator.”
The affected area was in a private land and the CCHHS worked with the owner of the property to collect fleas and analyze them.
