A person has died from the plague in Northern Arizona, health officials confirmed Thursday.
The victim was rushed to Flagstaff Medical Center, showing severe symptoms, and died the same day. An autopsy revealed Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague, was found. No further details about the patient or their identity have been revealed.
This case comes amid a recent prairie dog die-off northeast of Flagstaff, a classic red flag for plague activity since these rodents often carry infected fleas.
Coconino County officials are investigating an unknown number of prairie dog deaths linked to plague. They are working with a property owner to collect fleas for testing.
The plague remains rare in modern America, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting an average of seven human cases annually, the majority of which occur in rural areas of the Western U.S., including northern Arizona and parts of New Mexico and Colorado.
Plague occurs in three forms, bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic, depending on whether the infection hits the lymph nodes, bloodstream or lungs. Most US cases are bubonic, typically spread via flea bites from infected rodents.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, worldwide plague cases number around 1,000 to 2,000 per year, with the U.S. reporting about seven annually.
Symptoms often begin within a week of infection and may include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, nausea and weakness.
If treated promptly, ideally within 24 hours of symptoms, antibiotics are effective, and bubonic plague has a survival rate exceeding 90 percent.
Without treatment, however, mortality rates can skyrocket.
Public health officials urge residents to report sick or dead prairie dogs and other rodents, use flea control products on pets, and seek immediate medical care if symptoms like fever or swollen glands develop after possible exposure.
