A press release from the Oregon Health Authority has confirmed that a young woman located in Cook County, Oregon has contracted the bubonic plague. She was hospitalized in Bend, Oregon a few days after becoming sick on October 21. She is recovering in the intensive care unit (ICU).
It is believed that the bacteria was contracted from an infected flea during a hunting trip that the young woman took earlier in the month, also located in Oregon.
The plague is rare in Oregon, with only eight cases since 1995, and even rare in the United States as a whole. There have only been 15 other human cases of bubonic plague in the country this year. Four of these cases have resulted in death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bacteria that cause bubonic plague exist naturally in the environment. It spreads to humans through fleas that feed off of infected chipmunks, squirrels, and rats. The plague is more common in the western United States, particularly in rural and semi-rule areas.
The symptoms of bubonic plague are similar to the flu and include fever, nausea, and vomiting. In fact, many patients have a hard time telling the difference between bubonic plague and the flu, but bubonic plague often includes swollen lymph nodes. If it is caught early, bubonic plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
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