What is bubonic plague? History, causes, symptoms as Arizona's Coconino County reports first ‘Black Death’ since 2007

Coconino County health officials reported on July 11 that a person in northern Arizona died from bubonic (pneumonic) plague.

A northern Arizona resident dies from pneumonic plague, marking the first case in Coconino County in 16 years.(Representative image/Unsplash)

According to the officials, the incident has nothing to do with a recent prairie dog die-off in the region.

Authorities from Coconino County Health and Human Services stated in a statement that the person's death is the first pneumonic plague mortality in the county since 2007.

The patient suffered from Yersinia pestis, the plague-causing bacteria, according to Northern Arizona Healthcare, which was determined by the Arizona Department of Health Services through rapid diagnostic testing.

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Historically, the plague has been linked to Europe's Middle Ages, when it was widespread and caused one of the bloodiest outbreaks in the continent's history. It is also called “The Black Death.”

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, there have been an average of seven cases of bubonic plague reported every year since 2000, making instances of the disease exceedingly uncommon in the US. Deaths from the plague are much less common; and the last one occurred in the US in 2021.

The majority of documented cases, however, originate from the southwestern states of Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, Nevada, California, and southern Oregon.

The CDC report stated that fleas and wild rodents are the carriers of the bacteria responsible for the plague, which is typically contracted by coming in contact with an infected animal or by being bitten by an infected rodent flea.

Fever, headaches, chills, weakness, and one or more swollen, sore lymph nodes are typical symptoms, as per the CDC.

If detected and treated early, the illness can be managed with appropriate antibiotic therapy and can become pneumonic (affecting the lungs) or septicemic (spreading throughout the bloodstream), stated health officials.

In a bid to prevent exposure to plague, one should avoid contact with wild animals and fleas and take sick pets to the clinic.