A rare human case of bubonic plague was recently identified in the United States, according to local health authorities.
The patient, who resides in Deschutes County, Oregon, is undergoing treatment and was likely infected by his cat.
“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and given medications to prevent illness,” Deschutes County Health Officer Dr. Richard Fawcett said in announcing the case. last week.
“Fortunately, this case was identified and treated in the early stages of the disease, which poses little risk to the community,” authorities assured in a press release.
“No other cases of plague appeared during the investigation,” they said.
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The disease, which caused the Black Death, a pandemic that killed at least a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages, is rare in developed countries and can now be treated, but remains potentially dangerous.
Fever and swollen lymph nodes
According to authorities, symptoms of plague in humans appear up to eight days after exposure to a sick animal or flea.
These may include fever, nausea, weakness, chills or even muscle pain.
Bubonic plague, which remains the most common, is characterized by high fever and painful swelling of the lymph nodes.
In 20 to 40% of cases, the bubo suppurates and the patient recovers after a fairly long convalescence period, specifies the Pasteur Institute.
Otherwise, the disease progresses to septicemic plague, a rapidly fatal infection of the bloodstream.
In some cases, the bacteria reaches the lungs and human-to-human transmission occurs through the air.
Contact subjects then develop pneumonic plague, a fatal disease within three days in the absence of early and appropriate treatment.
During the 20th century, the use of antibiotic treatments and the strengthening of public health measures greatly reduced morbidity and mortality due to this disease discovered in 1894, but did not make it disappear.
Plague is a disease of rodents, mainly carried by rats, and transmitted to humans through flea bites from infected rodents.
The last case in France dates back to 1945
For travelers going to endemic centers, it is advisable to avoid contact with rodents and to protect themselves from flea bites with skin repellents.
In the event of contact with a plague patient who is coughing, it is imperative to consult a doctor as quickly as possible.
One of the characteristics of the plague epidemic is its ability to “extinguish” for several years before suddenly reappearing in epidemic form.
The plague still rages today in Africa, Asia and America and is one of the diseases currently re-emerging in the world.
Nearly 50,000 human cases were reported to the WHO between 1990 and 2020 by 26 countries in Africa, Asia and America.
No cases of plague have been reported recently in Oceania or Europe.
In France, the last cases to occur date from 1945, in Corsica.