Human plague case in Arizona

A woman in Apache County in northeastern Arizona is recovering from the first reported human case of the plague in Arizona since 2000. The state Department of Health Services says the woman got the illness from a flea bite but is warning that her case and the appearance of plague in prairie dogs in Flagstaff last month could mean an upswing in the problem. County health and northern Arizona officials are closely monitoring the situation, according to a news release by DHS. The Arizona Republic’s Teana Wagner quotes Craig Levy of the health department to say that “The recent appearance of plague activity in two northern counties has us concerned that we may see plague in other areas as well…. We are beginning another cycle of plaguelike activity,” he added.

Cases grow in isolated or small clusters, said Levy, who predicted the new cycle will focus on northern Arizona counties. There have been 48 cases of plague reported in Arizona during the past 30 years; eight of them resulted in death. Drought conditions and high summer temperatures have kept the risk of plague activity relatively low over the past six years, according to the health department. The disease is confined to the state’s higher elevations, generally about 4,500 feet, so the desert areas are not generally affected.

Arizona health officials have been particularly wary about a plague outbreak because of greater activity in New Mexico and other nearby states in the past year, Levy said. Plague can be contracted from fleas, rodents, or other infected animals. People are being warning to avoid contact with animal burrows and stay away from dead animals. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle pain, and swollen lymph glands in the groin, armpits, or limbs. The disease can become septicemic, which means it spreads through the bloodstream.