Latest news with #CCHHS
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Pneumonic Plague Death Confirmed in Arizona
Death from pneumonic plague was confirmed in a resident of Coconino County, Arizona, on July 11, 2025, according to a press release from the county's health and human services department. Although plague is rare in humans, it is endemic in the southwestern United States, and Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) maintains surveillance for the disease, according to the press release. "The source of the exposure is still under investigation; however, the death is not related to a recent report of a prairie dog die-off in the Townsend Winona area, northeast of Flagstaff," a media spokesperson from CCHHS told Medscape Medical News. Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague but tend to die off quickly after an infection; they serve as an indicator species for the presence of plague, but not as long-term disease vectors, according to the press release. Plague was not found to be present in the prairie dog colony with the recent die-off, the spokesperson added. The bacterium Yersinia pestis, the source of plague, originates in fleas and is transmissible to animals or humans through a bite from an infected flea, according to the CDC. Humans can get plague from handling infected animals as well. Plague cycles naturally among rodents in the wild, such as prairie dogs, but plague caused by bites is more likely to be bubonic plague or septicemic plague, according to the CDC. Pneumonic plague is spread by inhalation of bacteria-containing droplets and affects the lungs. Notably, cats are highly susceptible to plague and can become infected by eating infected rodents, as well as from flea bites, according to the CDC. Cats with plague pose a risk of transmitting infectious plague droplets resulting in pneumonic plague to their owners or to veterinarians, according to the CDC. In humans, plague symptoms usually appear within about a week of exposure and may include chills and fever, headache, weakness, and muscle pain, as well as swollen lymph nodes in some cases, according to the CCHHS press release. Although the public health risk for plague remains low, Arizona public health officials recommend standard precautions such as avoiding contact with wild animals and fleas and seeking prompt veterinary care for sick pets. Officials also recommend removing piles of brush, rocks, trash, or lumber from homes and outbuildings because these could promote rodent infestations.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Arizona Resident Dies of Plague After Being Rushed to Emergency Room
One person has died of the plague in Northern Arizona, health officials confirmed July 11 The person was treated at a local emergency room and died the same day, per NBC News Coconino County Health and Human Services said the risk of human transmission is "very low"One person has died of the bacteria that causes the plague in Northern Arizona, near Flagstaff, officials confirmed. Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) said in a July 11 statement that a county resident was confirmed to have died from pneumonic plague, As CCHHS said, it's 'a severe lung infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium.' 'Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased,' Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman said in the statement. 'We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time. Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released.' The patient arrived at Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department and died the same day, per a report by NBC News. CCHHS did say the death was not related to recent reports of prairie dogs dying in the Townsend Winona area, which some officials had linked to the plague, according to a report in AZ Central. The plague is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium and is transmitted to people by rodent fleas, or by handling an infected animal, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says. It manifests first as the bubonic plague, with symptoms that include fever, headache, chills, weakness and swollen, painful lymph nodes. The disease, if untreated, may progress into septicemic plague, which causes abdominal pain, shock, and bleeding into the skin. Pneumonic plague occurs when the disease progresses past septicemic or bubonic. It's the 'most serious form of the disease,' the CDC says, and the only type that can be spread from person to person. It's marked by 'rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery mucous.' The CDC notes that 'plague is a very serious illness but treatable with commonly available antibiotics.' CCHHS cautioned residents to avoid contact with wild animals, especially rodents, and to avoid fleas by using an insect repellant '20-30 percent DEET and tuck pant cuffs into your socks to help prevent flea bites.' The agency urged residents to be see veterinary care for pets, and to be especially mindful of cats, who who are 'highly susceptible to plague.' CCHHS said "the risk of human-to-human transmission is very low." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
US state rocked by sudden death from medieval disease... as officials warn more to come
An Arizona resident had succumbed to the Black Death, marking the county's first plague death since 2007. Coconino County health officials withheld the person's name and gender, but confirmed their cause of death to be pneumonic plague caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. The patient showed up to the Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department and died there the same day despite life-saving attempts. An average of seven human plague cases are reported each year in the U.S., but those cases aren't always fatal, according to data from the CDC from 2000 to 2023. The hospital is collaborating with Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Arizona Department of Health Services to investigate the incident. Earlier this week, Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) warned of a prairie dog die-off near Townsend Winona, just northeast of Flagstaff — a potential warning sign of plague activity. However, officials confirmed the recent human fatality is unrelated to this animal outbreak.
