Bubonic Plague

[Tonka]

http://www.kcra.com/health/19659496/detail.html

New Mexico Boy Dies Of Plague
Bubonic Plague Seen In Desert Areas
SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 1:01 pm PDT June 4, 2009


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An 8-year-old New Mexico boy died and his 10-year-old sister was hospitalized after both contracted bubonic plague, the first recorded human plague cases in the nation so far this year.

New Mexico health officials did not immediately say Thursday how the brother and sister contracted the infectious disease, but they are conducting an investigation at the family's residence to determine if there is any risk to other people.

Plague is generally transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas, but also can be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, rabbits and pets.

Symptoms of the bubonic form of the plague in humans include fever, chills, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit or neck areas. Pneumonic plague, which is an infection of the lungs, can include severe cough, difficulty breathing and bloody sputum.

The Health Department, citing privacy concerns, would not release the name of the siblings or give a location for their home, other than saying it was in Santa Fe County. Spokeswoman Deborah Busemeyer said the boy died in the last couple of days but she declined to be more specific.

Fleas collected from the area are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing. Health workers also canvassed the neighborhood to tell other residents that plague had been confirmed in the area.

The CDC says an average of 10 to 15 persons contract the plague each year in the United States. Modern antibiotics are an effective treatment.

[wotan]

Re: Bubonic Plague

he CDC says an average of 10 to 15 persons contract the plague each year in the United States. Modern antibiotics are an effective treatment.

It is good to remember that flu is not the only source of potential pandemic. One trully scary potential source is still plague, especially should Yersinia pestis develop antibiotic resistance. Someone deveoping pneumonic plague symptoms on, for instance, an airplane would definitely be a very bad thing.

[Tonka]

Re: Bubonic Plague

http://www.theunion.com/article/20090606/NEWS/906059968/1053/rss

Bubonic plague kills domestic cat in Truckee
Deadly disease claims life of 8-year-old N.M. boy
By Trina Kleist
Staff Writer

A domestic cat in the Truckee area has been diagnosed with bubonic plague, the Nevada County Health Department said late Friday.

Confirmation of the bacteria came shortly after 5 p.m. from the state Vector Laboratory of the California Department of Public Health, in Sacramento, said Environmental Health Director Wesley Nicks.

The owners of the animal, who live in the Glenshire housing development, are taking antibiotics as a precaution and have been advised about eradicating fleas from the house, Nick said.

Infected fleas can spread the bacterium by biting animals and people. Infected pets also can spread it to their owners through their saliva and by carrying infected fleas and infected rodents into the home, Nicks said.

Every year, the county gets one or two cases of bubonic plague, typically in wild rodents including squirrels and rats, and occasionally in domestic animals, Nicks added.

?It can occur in western Nevada County,? Nicks said. ?It's more common at the higher elevations.?



Plague death in New Mexico
In related news, an 8-year-old boy in New Mexico died from bubonic plague, the first plague death in the nation this year, the Associated Press reported. The New Mexico Health Department reported the death Thursday, but did not say when the boy died.

Symptoms of bubonic plague in humans include fever, chills, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit or neck areas, the county Environmental Health Department reported.

Bubonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as Pasteurella pestis), is a less-serious phase of the disease that has three phases: Bubonic plague is an infection of the lymph nodes; septicemic plague is an infection of the blood; and pneumonic plague is an infection of the lungs.

The form that caused the terrifying Black Death over hundreds of years in Europe starting in the 14th century was the pneumonic plague, Nicks said. Pneumonic plague symptoms can include severe cough, difficulty breathing and bloody sputum, the county reported.

?The less serious, more common bubonic phase of the illness can sometimes develop into pneumonic plague, which is quite serious and often fatal. Pneumonic plague is also easily transmitted to humans through sneezing, coughing or other oral routes,? a county press release said.

Most people become ill from the bacterium a few days after being infected, but it could be as short as a few hours for pneumonic plague, the county Environmental Health Department reported.

While a couple of cases is normal for the county, officials will be on the look-out for more.

?What we're looking for is a larger outbreak ? a lot of rodents that suddenly die,? Nicks said.

The plague was discovered when the cat's owners noticed symptoms and took the animal to a local veterinarian, who sent a sample to the state for analysis.

Hunters can contract the disease from wild animals, the Environmental Health Department said.



To contact City Editor Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call 477-4230.