Health warning issued after squirrel tests test positive for bubonic plague in Colorado county just outside of Denver
- Squirrel in Colorado tested positive for bubonic plague
- It is the first case of plague in Jefferson County 18 miles southwest of Denver.
- Another case was previously found in Broomfield County northwest of the city.
- Plague is an infectious disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria and can be contracted by humans and pets, mainly through flea bites.
- The bubonic plague is known as the ‘Black Death’ that killed millions in the 14th century.
- The outbreak was also confirmed in China’s Inner Mongolia region last weekend.
A Colorado health warning was issued after a squirrel tested positive for bubonic plague this weekend in what is described as “a reported increase in plague activity.”
The sick squirrel was found in the city of Morrison, southwest of Denver, although it is the first case of the plague to have been recorded in Jefferson County.
“Plague is an infectious disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, and can be contracted by humans and pets if proper precautions are not taken,” said the Jefferson County Department of Public Health.
Health officials say that as long as adequate precautions are taken, the risk of contracting the plague is “extremely low.”
Squirrel tested positive for bubonic plague about 18 southwest of Denver (file photo)
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that there has been a greater amount of plague activity in the state than has already been found in Broomfield, northwest Denver.
Humans can become infected with plague by being bitten by fleas or even being coughed up by an infected animal.
Bubonic plague is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that live in wild rodents. Kills in less than 24 hours if not treated promptly.
Cats in particular are susceptible to plague and can die if not immediately treated with antibiotics.
Jefferson County Public Health, whose building is shown in the image above, said it was the first case of registered plague in the county.
Similarly, cats can also get plague from flea bites or rodents.
Dogs are less susceptible to plague, but are capable of catching fleas that could transmit the disease.
Plague symptoms are known to include fever, chills, headache, nausea, and extreme pain and swollen lymph nodes, which occur within two to seven days after exposure.
However, plague can be effectively treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which is transmitted by fleas and transmitted between animals. The image above is a 3D illustration of the bacteria.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was ‘carefully’ monitoring a case of bubonic plague in China after being notified by authorities in Beijing.
A WHO official said the situation was being “well managed” by China and was not considered to pose a high risk.
Two other cases were confirmed in neighboring Mongolia’s Khovd province in late June, involving siblings who had eaten groundhog meat, China’s state news agency Xinhua said.
Bubonic plague is one of the most devastating diseases in history, having killed over 100 million people in the 14th century.
“The bubonic plague has been with us and always is with us, for centuries,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters in a virtual meeting.
‘We are looking at the numbers of cases in China. It is being well managed.
“At the moment, we don’t consider it high risk, but we are watching and monitoring it carefully.”
An illustration from 1656: a plague doctor wearing protective clothing. The beak mask contained spices intended to purify the air, the wand was used to avoid touching patients.
BUBONIC PLAGUE: THE THIRD IN EUROPE WAS OLD IN THE 14th CENTURY
The bubonic plague is one of the most devastating diseases in history, having killed over 100 million people during the ‘Black Death’ in the 14th century.
Drawings and paintings of the outbreak, which wiped out about a third of Europe’s population, depict town criers saying ‘bring your dead out’ as they haul trailers full of infected corpses.
Bubonic plague is caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis, which uses the flea as a host and is generally transmitted to humans through rats.
Drawings and paintings of the outbreak, which wiped out about a third of Europe’s population, show town criers saying ‘get your dead out’ as they haul trailers full of infected corpses
The disease causes grotesque symptoms, such as gangrene and the appearance of large swellings in the groin, armpits, or neck, known as “buboes.”
It kills up to two-thirds of patients in just four days if left untreated, although if antibiotics are given within 24 hours of infection, patients are highly likely to survive.
After the Black Death came in 1347, the plague became a common phenomenon in Europe, with outbreaks regularly recurring until the 18th century.
Bubonic plague has almost entirely vanished from the rich world, with 90 percent of all cases now found in Africa.
However, there have been some non-fatal cases in the US in recent years, while in August 2013 a 15-year-old boy died in Kyrgyzstan after eating a groundhog infected with the disease.
Three months later, an outbreak in a Madagascan killed at least 20 people in one week.
A year earlier, 60 people died as a result of the infection, more than in any other country in the world.
Outbreaks in China have been rare in recent years, and most have occurred in remote rural areas in the west.
China’s state broadcaster said there were 12 diagnosed cases and three deaths in Qinghai province in 2009, and one in Sichuan in 2012.
As a result, five to 15 people die each year in the United States, primarily in the western states.
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