Health officials are urging caution among Arizona residents following a pneumonia outbreak linked to pets and wildlife, particularly after recent deaths in Flagstaff’s emergency rooms.
This alert coincides with an investigation into a “sudden death” of a prairie dog found near the city, according to health authorities.
An unidentified individual passed away soon after arriving at the emergency room with symptoms and tested positive for Yersinia Pestis, the bacterium responsible for the pneumonic plague, as announced by the county on Friday.
This bacterium is known to be a cause of the three primary forms of plague in humans.
One type, the Bubonic Plague, famously termed “Black Death,” is estimated to have claimed around 25 million lives during the 14th century in Europe.
Pneumonic epidemics tend to be more common in Africa but have also emerged in the western U.S., as indicated by recent studies. Between 2000 and 2023, there were only 15 reported plague fatalities in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Following the recent county announcement, reports from Republic of Arizona detailed:
Yersinia Pestis spreads primarily through fleas and is naturally found in wild rodents. Humans often catch it by being bitten by infected fleas or having contact with contaminated animals. Sick pets, particularly cats, can also pose a risk, according to the CDC.
In early July, the Coconino County Health Authority also issued a warning related to a prairie dog that went missing in the Townsendwinona area, mentioning:
The sudden death of prairie dogs could indicate the presence of plague, a contagious disease affecting both humans and animals. The bacterium can be transmitted through flea bites or contact with infected animals. There’s a risk of infection from sick pets as well.
Nonetheless, officials clarified that the recent death of the resident was not related to the prairie dog’s demise reported in Townsendwinona:
Health officials stated that the recent resident’s death has no connection to the prairie dog’s death. This marks the first pneumonia plague-related death in Coconino County since 2007, when a person had contact with a deceased infected animal.
However, the basis for this assertion remains unclear, as officials haven’t elaborated on why they believe the cases are unrelated.
The plague in humans often presents with an abrupt onset of fever and malaise, and can also lead to symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, according to the CDC.
The pneumonia plague is one of the three primary forms of plague recognized by the CDC, alongside septicemia.
The Bubonic Plague devastated Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s, with estimates suggesting it exterminated 30% to 60% of the European populace. It was thought to spread through trade routes and flea bites from rats.
Without treatment, the mortality rates for the plague have been recorded as high as 66% to 93%. The CDC notes, however, that in the era of antibiotics, this has significantly decreased to approximately 16%.
