First Bubonic Plague Case Detected in Oregon After 8 Years, May Have Come From Pet Cat

For the first time in nearly a decade, Oregon has seen its first case of bubonic plague. Interestingly, this case could have originated from a pet cat.

First Bubonic Plague Case in Oregon After 8 Years

The infected person resides in Deschutes County, a rural area in central Oregon. According to health officials, this person is thought to be the only one infected, aside from the pet cat that shows symptoms.

Dr. Richard Fawcett, a health officer of Deschutes County, explains that all the residents and the pets' close contacts have been contacted and offered antibiotics to prevent any possible infections from becoming symptomatic.

Dr. Fawcett notes that the cat was quite sick and had a draining abscess, which signifies a substantial infection. Officials note that the diagnosis and treatment of the case were done earlier. Hence, it may pose minimal risk to the wider community. The resident's infection likely began as a lymph node known as bubonic plague. When the owner was hospitalized, the infection had already reached the bloodstream. Dr. Fawcett says that the patient had a good response to antibiotic treatment.

Before this case, the last human plague case in Oregon was in 2015. This was when an adolescent girl was thought to have gotten infected by the bite of a flea during a hunting trip. Since 1995, Oregon has seen only nine human plague cases and no reported deaths.

ALSO READ: The Black Death: Bubonic Plague Pandemics Throughout History

Bubonic Plague

The bubonic plague is typically carried by chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents in the wild, as well as their flees. When an infected rodent gets sick and eventually dies, its fleas can bring the infection to humans and other animals via bites.

Those infected with the condition typically experience lethargy, a high fever, and swollen lymph nodes known as buboes. Symptoms usually surface roughly two to eight days post-exposure.

Though the human plague has no vaccine, antibiotics can be used to treat it if detected early. If it is left untreated, the infection can turn fatal.

This infection became famous for ravaging Europe in the 14th century. However, the bubonic plague back then was quite a different threat than the present one. According to David Wagner, who serves as the director of the Biodefense and Disease Ecology Center at the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute of Northern Arizona University, the plague is the same thing that led to the Black Death. However, this took place in the era before antibiotics. Now, the condition can easily be treated with antibiotics.

Across the US, around seven bubonic plague cases are seen every year. These typically occur in the rural West. They are primarily concentrated in northern Arizona, northern New Mexico, California, southern Colorado, western Nevada, and southern Oregon.

Nevertheless, getting infected by the condition is very rare across the US. On average, there are five to 15 cases that take place each year in the West.