Plague patient was likely exposed to disease while camping

• New Mexico has reported its first human case of plague this year, involving a 43-year-old man from Valencia County who was hospitalized and has since been discharged.
• The man was likely exposed to the disease while camping in Rio Arriba County, as plague is known to circulate among wildlife in the western United States.
• This case follows other recent human plague infections across the western U.S., including a Californian man who tested positive and an Arizona resident who died from the disease in July.
• Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is rare in the U.S., averaging seven cases annually, and spreads primarily through flea bites or contact with infected animals.
• Health officials advise precautions such as avoiding sick rodents, using insect repellent outdoors, and ensuring pets have appropriate flea control to prevent infection.

IN FULL

Plague infects New Mexico man after run of cases in western states