The disease has been around for centuries and is responsible for the deadliest pandemic in human history. An estimated 50 million people in Europe died during the Black Death pandemic of the Middle Ages.
JCPH warns the public that it can infect both humans and animals if proper precautions are not taken.
The disease can be transmitted by flea bites and infected animals. While modern antibiotics can prevent complications and death if treated quickly enough, it remains a major threat to both humans and animals.
The disease can cause painful and swollen lymph nodes. Fever, chills, and cough are also symptoms that humans can experience.
The plague has recently returned, and the World Health Organization has categorized it as a reemerging disease. According to the WHO, there are approximately 1,000 to 2,000 cases each year, but it is likely to be a modest number, as there are several unreported cases.
The United States reports up to a few dozen cases each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Two people died in Colorado from the plague in 2015.
If left untreated, bubonic plague can become pneumonic plague, which can cause pneumonia after bacteria spread to the lungs.
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