August 8 (UPI) – A man in New Mexico in his 20s has died of septicemic plague, health authorities say. It is the first human plague death in New Mexico this year and the second case this year in the state.
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the man lived in Rio Arriba County and died after being hospitalized.
The health department said officials will conduct an environmental investigation into the man’s home to monitor ongoing risk to family members and neighbors.
On July 27, a Santa Fe County man in his 60s was diagnosed with bubonic plague.
Plague is a bacterial disease of rodents, most commonly transmitted to humans through the bite of infected meat.
But it can also be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wild animals and pets, officials say.
There are three forms of plague, with symptoms that vary depending on how the person was exposed to the bacterium, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“Pest activity in New Mexico is usually highest during the summer months, so it is especially important to take precautionary measures now to prevent rodents and their flies, which can expose you to pests,” said the Department of Health Secretary. Kathy Kunkel.
According to the CDC, although cases of plague are rare in the 21st century in the United States, they still occur, with health departments reporting an average of seven cases per year, with the most common in rural West.
New Mexico officials say this is the first human plague-related death in New Mexico since 2015.
There was a single human plague case in 2019 involving a 78-year-old man, and no human plague cases in the state by 2020.
There have also been two animal plague cases this year: one in a dog and one in a cat.
The Department of Health in Mexico recommends preventing sick or dead rodents and rabbits, taking sick pets to the vet and preventing pets from roaming and hunting – and using appropriate pet care products.
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