Re: Oregon woman is state's first bubonic plague case in 15 years
<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>
Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20101004.3597</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>
Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>04-OCT-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>
Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/AH/EDR> Plague - USA (03): (OR) bubonic</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
PLAGUE - USA (03): (OREGON), BUBONIC***********************************A ProMED-mail post<
http://www.promedmail.org>ProMED-mail is a program of theInternational Society for Infectious Diseases<
http://www.isid.org>Date: Fri 1 Oct 2010Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting [edited]<
http://news.opb.org/article/14656-rare-case-bubonic-plague-shows-lake-county/>
</PRE>
State health officials say a woman in Lake County has been diagnosed
with bubonic plague. It is the 1st diagnosis of plague in Oregon in
15 years. The disease terrorized Europe's population more than 600
years ago, but the plague is treatable when caught early.
Dr. Emilio DeBess is the public health veterinarian and an
epidemiologist with the Oregon Department of Human Services. He says
the disease, once known as the Black Death, got somewhat of a bad rap
after killing off 1/3rd of Europe's population in the 1300s.
But he says that thanks to scientific advances, "it's a very
treatable condition with antibiotics, and so that's usually not a
concern; back then, they didn't have antibiotics. We do have very
good antibiotics that treat the infection."
Health officials have not released the name of the Lake County woman
who fell ill at the end of August 2010. DeBess says authorities are
now trying to determine the source of the infection.
[Byline: David Nogueras]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<
promed@promedmail.org>
As outlined by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
at <
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/diagnosis.htm>: The
typical sign of the most common form of human plague is a swollen and
very tender lymph gland, accompanied by pain. The swollen gland is
called a "bubo." Bubonic plague should be suspected when a person
develops a swollen gland, fever, chills, headache, and extreme
exhaustion, and has a history of possible exposure to infected
rodents, rabbits, or fleas. A person usually becomes ill with bubonic
plague 2 to 6 days after being infected.
When bubonic plague is left untreated, plague bacteria invade the
bloodstream. As the plague bacteria multiply in the bloodstream, they
spread rapidly throughout the body and cause a severe and often fatal
condition. Infection of the lungs with the plague bacterium causes
the pneumonic form of plague, a severe respiratory illness. The
infected person may experience high fever, chills, cough, and
breathing difficulty and may expel bloody sputum. If plague patients
are not given specific antibiotic therapy, the disease can progress
rapidly to death. About 14 per cent (one in 7) of all plague cases in
the United States are fatal."
Most cases of _Y. pestis_ infections in the USA occur in the area of
the "Four Corner" states: Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah,
although California and to a lesser extent Oregon also may have
cases. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
Plague - USA (02): (CA) rodent
20100819.2878
Plague, wildlife - Canada: (SK) prairie dog
20100817.2849
Plague, feline - USA: (MT)
20100807.2693
Plague - USA: (CA) ground squirrel
20100708.2275
Plague, canine - USA: (NM)
20100418.1259
Plague, cougar - USA (WY)
20100208.0429
2009
----
Plague, feline - USA (CA)
20091205.4150
Plague, fatal - USA (05): (IL) lab strain susp. RFI
20090921.3320
Plague, fatal - USA (03): (NM) recovery
20090715.2530
Plague, tularemia, prairie dogs - USA (SD)
20090712.2494
Plague, fatal - USA (02): (NM) risk, prevention
20090611.2153
Plague, fatal - USA: (NM) bubonic
20090605.2080
Plague, rabbit - USA (NM)
20090415.1435
2008
----
Plague, human, prairie dogs - USA: (AZ)
20081012.3229
Plague, prairie dogs, ferrets - USA: (SD) (02)
20080722.2213
Plague, prairie dog, ferrets - USA: (SD)
20080708.2082
Plague, prairie dogs - USA: (CO), susp., RFI
20080506.1552
Plague, human, feline - USA (NM): early season cases
20080127.0340]
...................................................sb/ll/msp/dk
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:
<
http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Donations.shtml>
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <
http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to:
promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at <
http://www.isid.org/promedmail/subscribe.lasso>.
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
<
postmaster@promedmail.org>.
############################################################
############################################################
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,85148
