Latest news with #pneumonicplague
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
The black plague is still killing people in 2025
President Donald Trump was swept into office promising to Make America Healthy Again. Now his controversial Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, must contend with the return of the Black Death. The plague that killed millions in Medieval Europe and Asia has claimed a life in Arizona. It's the first fatality for the condition in that state for more than 18 years. And it's a stark reminder that the bacteria behind the deadly disease is deeply entrenched in the US heartland. It involved the plague's most deadly incarnation. 'The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person,' says Western Sydney University microbiology expert Thomas Jeffries. 'But there's no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage.' Only 14 people have died of plague in the US in the past 25 years. But pneumonic plague is the most severe of the plague's three forms. All are caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria. Bubonic plague presents with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit and neck. Septicaemic plague puts the body into shock and is characterised by blackening of the fingers, toes, and nose. Both are usually caused by bites from fleas carrying the bacteria, and fatality rates vary between 30 and 60 per cent. Pneumonic plague is caused when tiny airborne droplets carry the bacteria into the lungs. There, it reproduces rapidly while attacking its host's immune system. If left untreated, the fatality rate can be as high as 100 per cent. But modern medicine has advanced considerably since medieval times. 'Plague can evoke a very emotional reaction, as many people associate plague with the Black Death, which ravaged Europe and killed millions in the 1300s,' infectious disease expert Dr Shirin Mazumder told US media. 'Although plague-related fatalities can occur, they are very uncommon, and we have highly effective antibiotic therapy to treat plague if diagnosed early.' Historic potential The 2020 COVID pandemic was caused when the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutated enough to find humans to be hospitable hosts. Similar mutations have emerged among Yersinia pestis strains over the centuries. 'This disease is one of the most important in history,' argues Jeffries. 'The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire. 'The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe's population. 'The third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia.' However, the discovery that the cause was a flea-inhabiting bacterium has resulted in the disease being largely suppressed. 'As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here,' Jeffries states. 'Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century.' However, sporadic outbreaks persist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Peru, India, Central Asia, and the US, as the disease is entrenched in local rodent populations. And a fresh outbreak of plague would be a severe test of Health Secretary Kennedy's MAHA agenda. Kennedy has a long history of supporting unsubstantiated health conspiracies. He has argued that COVID-19 discriminated between ethnic groups. He has linked tap water to transgender children. He has claimed 'miasma' (a medieval term for pollutants and bad smells) is just as deadly as viruses and bacteria. 'Miasma theory emphasises preventing disease by fortifying the immune system through nutrition and reducing exposures to environmental toxins and stresses,' Kennedy wrote in his book, The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health. Since taking office in February, the former environmental lawyer has cut thousands of jobs in his Department of Health and Human Services and shut down several advisory bodies and health programs at the Centres for Disease Control (CDC). Known unknowns 'The only means to fight a plague is honesty,' Kennedy, 71, stated in The Real Anthony Fauci. But few details about the Arizona plague fatality have yet been released. 'Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased. We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time,' a Coconino County Board of Supervisors spokeswoman told media. 'Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released'. The incubation period of pneumonic plague, once it settles in the lungs, can be as little as one day. An intense course of common modern antibiotics is an effective treatment - if administered quickly. Was the patient suffering from untreated bubonic or septicaemic plague, where the bacteria spread to the lungs? Or was it contracted from infectious droplets coughed up by an animal or a person? And was it caught in the countryside, or an urban environment? 'Plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country (United States), due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there,' writes Jeffries. 'The last major outbreak was 100 years ago.' Prairie dogs are easy targets for the fleas that carry Yersinia pestis. But they tend to die quickly once infected. As such, a sudden spate of Prairie dog deaths can be an early warning sign of an outbreak of the bacteria. '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,' the Coconino County's health service has told US media. But other animals regularly handled by humans can get infected. Especially cats. They can contract the bacteria by eating infected rodents or being bitten by fleas. The CDC warns that this can then be transmitted to owners when the cat sneezes.
CNN
5 days ago
- Health
- CNN
An Arizona resident has just died of the plague. What to know about this disease
FacebookTweetLinkA person died from pneumonic plague in Arizona last week, the first death from the disease in this region in nearly two decades. This death might bring to mind the bubonic plague, the form of the plague that killed millions during the Middle Ages. This latest case is not the same form, and treatments have certainly advanced since that time. That said, I wanted to know what pneumonic plague is, how it's spread and what its symptoms are. How is it diagnosed, and what treatments are available? What can people do to reduce the risk of contracting the disease? And how much should people be worried about plague? To help with these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously was Baltimore's health commissioner. CNN: What is pneumonic plague? Dr. Leana Wen: Pneumonic plague is one of three types of plagues that are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The type of plague someone has is classified based on where the bacteria are concentrated. Bubonic plague infects lymph nodes. Septicemic plague is when the bacteria cause a whole-body infection through the bloodstream, and pneumonic plague affects the lungs. CNN: How does someone contract plague? Can it be spread from person to person? Wen: It depends on the type of plague. Bubonic plague is typically caused by the bite of an infected rodent flea. It can progress to septicemic plague, which can also arise as a result of handling infected animals such as rats and cats. Cats and other animals can contract the plague through eating rodents or through the bite of fleas. Pneumonic plague develops when the bacteria spread to the lungs in someone who started out with bubonic or septicemic plague. It can also occur when the bacteria are directly transmitted through airborne droplets — if someone inhales droplets containing the Yersinia bacteria that are coughed by an infected person or animal. This is the only form of the plague that can be spread from person to person. CNN: What are the symptoms of the three types of plague? Wen: People infected with all three forms develop common infectious symptoms including fever, headache, chills and weakness. Those with bubonic plague have one or more swollen and painful lymph nodes, also called buboes. In septicemic plague, the seeding of bacteria to other parts of the body can cause multi-organ failure and total body shock. Pneumonic plague is characterized by a rapidly progressing pneumonia with symptoms of shortness of breath, cough and chest pain. CNN: Is plague common? Wen: No. There are an average of seven human plague cases reported each year in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 80% of cases are bubonic plague. Most human cases have occurred in two regions: northern Arizona, northern New Mexico and southern Colorado; and California, southern Oregon and far western Nevada. Plague has also been reported in various parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization, most human cases since the 1990s have occurred on the African continent. The three countries where plague is the most endemic are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and the South American country of Peru. CNN: How worried should people be about pneumonic plague, if it would be transmitted person to person? Wen: In Arizona, there was only one person diagnosed with pneumonic plague. There have not been reports of other infected individuals. Health experts there reiterate that the 'risk to the public of exposure to plague remains low.' CNN: How is plague diagnosed? Wen: Diagnosis is made through laboratory testing of blood, sputum and parts of a swollen lymph node. Because the disease progresses very quickly and effective antibiotic therapies exist, prompt recognition is crucial. In cases where there is a high level of suspicion, antibiotics are often started in advance of confirmatory testing. CNN: What treatments are available? Wen: The good news is that there are accessible and effective therapies. Several antibiotics are effective against Yersinia pestis. In the US, gentamicin and fluoroquinolones are first-line treatments. It's crucial that antibiotic therapies are promptly started. If left untreated, the case fatality rate can be as high as 30% to 100%. CNN: Is there a vaccine against plague? Wen: A vaccine against plague had been authorized for individuals at high risk of exposure, but this vaccine is no longer available in the United States, in part due to how rare this disease has become. Some potential vaccine candidates are under development. CNN: What can people do to reduce the risk of contracting the plague? Wen: Most Americans do not live in areas where plague can be found. For those in Western US states where plague has occurred, there are several actions they can take to reduce their potential exposure. First, avoid contact with wild animals. Do not handle wild rodents. Do not touch sick or dead animals. Second, because most cases are associated with rodents, people should prevent rodent infestation by storing pet food in rodent-proof containers and removing brush and trash around homes. Third, avoid fleabites. Wear long sleeves and use insect repellent containing DEET if you are hiking, camping or working outdoors. Keep fleas away from household pets by using veterinarian-approved flea control products. Fourth, keep pets out of areas known to be inhabited by wild rodents. Be on the outlook for illnesses in domestic animals, especially indoor-outdoor cats, and seek prompt veterinary care. All of this said, I think it's important to be reminded of how uncommon plague is. People who live in areas where plague has been found should take preventive measures, and clinicians should ask about travel history to these areas. Most Americans, though, do not need to be concerned about plague based on this single recent case in Arizona.
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Health
- Bloomberg
What You Should Know About the Plague After an Arizona Death
Hi, it's Jessica in New York, where the resurgence of the plague has me wondering about how you can protect yourself. More on that in a moment … Last week, local health authorities in northern Arizona confirmed a person died of the plague. It's the county's first death from pneumonic plague, a type of bacteria that infects the lungs, since 2007.
Medscape
15-07-2025
- 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.
Fox News
15-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Scientists crack the code on new vaccine for deadly plague bacteria
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published July 15, 2025 Israeli researchers have developed a new vaccine that is "100% effective" against a bacteria that is deadly to humans. The announcement came from Tel Aviv University, which teamed up with the Israel Institute for Biological Research to create the mRNA-based vaccine, which is the first to protect against bacteria. "In the study, we show that our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague (a severe lung infection), which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease," study co-lead Professor Dan Peer, director of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital. ARIZONA RESIDENT DIES OF PNEUMONIC PLAGUE, THE FIRST DEADLY CASE IN AREA IN NEARLY 20 YEARS "Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is considered a highly lethal infectious bacterium, against which no approved vaccine exists." This bacterium is so lethal, even at small doses, that it has been classified as a "Tier 1 select agent" by the CDC and is considered a "potential bioterror weapon," according to Peer. "Several natural local outbreaks have been recorded in the past few years, indicating that Y. pestis still poses a risk to the human population," he noted. The researchers tested the novel mRNA vaccine in animals infected with the bacteria, a university press release stated. BUBONIC PLAGUE IN THE US: DO YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT CATCHING THE RODENT-BORNE DISEASE? "Within a week, all unvaccinated animals died, while those vaccinated with our vaccine remained alive and well," the team reported, noting that a single dose provided full protection after two weeks. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. "Our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague, which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease." Before this study, mRNA vaccines were only shown to protect against viruses, such as COVID-19, but not bacteria, according to Tel Aviv University's Dr. Edo Kon, who co-led the study. "Until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically unattainable," said Kon in the announcement. "In our study, we proved that it is, in fact, possible to develop mRNA vaccines that are 100% effective against deadly bacteria." While vaccines for viruses trigger human cells to produce viral proteins, which then train the immune system to protect against them, that same method hasn't been effective for bacteria. Instead, the scientists used a different method to release bacterial proteins that successfully created a "significant immune response." "To enhance the bacterial protein's stability and make sure that it does not disintegrate too quickly inside the body, we buttressed it with a section of human protein," they wrote. "By combining the two breakthrough strategies, we obtained a full immune response." Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reiterated the importance of the study. "This is distinct from research in coronavirus, influenza and cancer, which have so far been driving mRNA vaccine applications," Glanville, who was not part of the research team, told Fox News Digital. The study shows how mRNA technologies can be rapidly applied to "novel threat areas," he confirmed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Following blowback from the mandates and rare but admittedly problematic side effects related to initial COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA as a platform has faced additional scrutiny to make sure that the next generation of vaccines to emerge from it has learned the lessons from the initial vaccines, and improved upon them," Glanville told Fox News Digital. "This research demonstrates yet another large application area for the technology." Potential limitations The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. "As with any pre-clinical study, it needs to be evaluated in a clinical study in order to assess its effectiveness in humans," he told Fox News Digital. In addition, the experimental mRNA vaccine is based on the "lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccine platform" that was recently approved for COVID-19 vaccines, Peer noted, which requires "cold chain logistics" (a supply chain that uses refrigeration). "Nevertheless, extensive studies are performed in our lab, focusing on lipid formulation stability optimization that will enable room-temperature storage," the researcher added. Looking ahead The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. This could be particularly beneficial for pathogenic (disease-causing) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines." "Due to excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs," said Peer. "Consequently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a real threat to human health worldwide. Developing a new type of vaccine may provide an answer to this global problem." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER As Peer pointed out, the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on years of mRNA research for similar viruses. "If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines." As this was a pre-clinical proof-of-concept study, Peer noted that several major milestones still need to be fulfilled before this vaccine could be considered for commercial rollout. However, he believes that in an emergency situation, the vaccine could be scaled up and prepared in a "relatively short time." For more Health articles, visit Peer concluded, "Beyond addressing the threat of plague outbreaks and potential bioterrorism, this study opens the door to developing mRNA vaccines against other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering a powerful new strategy to combat rising antimicrobial resistance and improve global pandemic preparedness." The study was supported by the European Research Council, the Israel Institute for Biological Research and the Shmunis Family Foundation. Print Close URL
