Man in 20s dies of bubonic plague in US
It marked the second case in New Mexico this year.
A man in his 20s has died of bubonic plague in New Mexico, marking the second case in the state this year.
The patient from Rio Arriba County was taken to hospital where he passed away from the rare disease, health officials confirmed on Friday.
In late June a man in his 60s became the first to be diagnosed in 2020 and was recovering in hospital.
Both men lived more than 100 miles away from each other, so the cases are not thought to be linked, but health officials have been inspecting the home of the young man who lost his life.
Cases of bubonic plague are very rare and can be treated with antibiotics quickly, but it still has a fatality rate of between 30% to 60%.
It killed around 50 million people, including 60% of Europe’s population in the 14th century in what was known as ‘the Black Death’.
The disease is caused by a bacteria called Yesinia Pestis which most commonly affect rodents, but they can be bitten by fleas which can then pass it on to humans.
The World Health Organisaiton (WHO) estimates between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of plague around the world every year.
New Mexico Department of Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel said: ‘Plague activity in New Mexico is usually highest during the summer months, so it is especially important now to take precautions to avoid rodents and their fleas which can expose you to plague,’
Pet owners should prevent their animals from wandering off and use flea treatment products on them as well as keep hay, wool and compost piles away from their homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The health body says over 80% of United States plague cases have been the bubonic form.
In recent decades, an average of seven cases have been reported each year with a range of one to 17. Plague has occurred in people of all ages, although 50% of cases occur in people ages 12–45.
Last week Chinese authorities shut down a village in inner Mongolia after a resident died from the plague – the country’s second confirmed case in 2020.
Nine close contacts and 26 secondary contacts of the patient were put into quarantine and tested negative, according to regional health officials.
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