A patient in northern Arizona has died of bubonic plague, according to multiple reports. A Northern Arizona Healthcare spokesperson said the patient, whose identity has not been released, arrived at the Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department and passed away the same day.
Known for causing the Black Death plague that swept through Europe and Asia in the 12th century, bubonic plague is caused by the bacteria known as Yersinia pestis and impacts humans and other mammals. People are usually infected through a bite from an infected rodent flea or by touching an animal carrying the plague, as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Hospital officials said proper attempts to save the patient’s life were made, but that the person “did not recover.” They said they discovered the person had bubonic plague through a rapid diagnostic test that showed a likely presence of Yersinia pestis.
Investigation underway
Hospital officials and the Coconino County Health and Human Services Department, as well as the Arizona Department of Health Services, are investigating how and where the patient contracted the disease.
The Coconino Health and Human Services reported mass prairie dog deaths just northeast of Flagstaff recently on privately owned land, which medical professionals say is a potential “indicator of plague.”
County officials reported a similar finding in 2017, when another group of prairie dogs was found carrying fleas with the plague. Officials in nearby Navajo County also announced that fleas carrying the disease were found around the same time.
Investigators are now working with the owner of the privately owned area to gather flea samples for testing. Burrows of the prairie dogs will also be treated to eliminate fleas, and the area enhanced monitoring of the area is in place.
Hospital officials warn public
“NAH would like to remind anyone who suspects they are ill with a contagious disease to contact their health care provider. If their illness is severe, they should go to the Emergency Department and immediately ask for a mask to help prevent the spread of the disease while they access timely and important care,” the hospital said in a statement obtained by NBC News.
A notorious disease
Bubonic plague, which is notorious for killing millions of people across Europe in the Middle Ages, is rare but not unheard of, with some cases in the United States as well as parts of Africa and Asia, according to the CDC. The agency also reports an average of seven cases of the plague in people annually in the U.S. However, those cases are not always deadly as it can be easily cured by antibiotics if caught early enough.
Symptoms usually manifest within two to six days of infection and can include fever as well as swollen and sore lymph nodes, most commonly reported in the armpit, groin or neck.
