A New Mexico man has died from complications from bubonic plague, as state health officials scramble to assess the ongoing risk in the region.
The unidentified Lincoln County resident had recently been hospitalized with a bacterial illness, but details about how he contracted the infection and how his health deteriorated remain unclear. The state Department of Health (NMDOH) made the announcement on Friday.
Despite doctors’ best efforts, the patient’s symptoms worsened and he died, making it the first case of bubonic plague recorded in New Mexico since 2021.
This was also the state’s first blood pressure-related death since 2020. The state recorded four new cases in the same year alone.
According to the health department, plague is a “bacterial disease of rodents” that is commonly transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas. In addition, the infection can be spread through direct contact with infected animals such as rodents, wild animals, and even pets.
There is also a risk from breathing in dust contaminated with dry rodent urine or feces, which harbor bacteria.
NMDOH is currently “carrying out support activities to local residents” and is committed to assessing “ongoing risks” to the community.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of a Lincoln County man who died from plague,” said Erin Phipps, DVM, MPH, a veterinarian with the state Department of Public Health. “This tragic incident is a stark reminder of the threat posed by this ancient disease and highlights the need for community awareness and proactive measures to prevent its spread. ”
Bubonic plague is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Yersinia pestis is a bacterium that is thought to have arrived in North America around 1900 from rats stowed away on steamships from Southeast Asia.
Since then, the disease has become endemic to ground squirrels and rodents in rural areas of the southwestern United States, where the majority of cases occur.
Once infected, patients experience symptoms ranging from fever and chills to swollen lymph nodes, known as buboes, from which the disease gets its name.
“Buboes form at the site of an infected rodent or flea bite,” explains Erica Susky, a certified infection prevention practitioner based in Canada.
Although there is no vaccine, plague can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.
However, if left untreated, it can be fatal.
“Bubonic plague is a serious infection on its own, but it can quickly develop into a more severe and deadly form of plague,” Susky warned. “More serious forms include pneumonic plague and septicemic plague, where the bacteria invade the lungs and bloodstream.”
To reduce the risk of transmission, experts advise people to prevent pets from wandering and hunting, and to avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, as well as their nests and burrows.
You should also seek immediate medical attention if you develop an unexplained illness with a sudden, severe fever.
Fortunately, contracting bubonic plague in the United States is extremely rare, with an average of 5 to 15 cases occurring each year in Western countries.
Last month, an Oregon woman contracted the disease, becoming the state’s first case in 10 years.
