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New Mexico’s second plague case of the year reported in Bernalillo County
A sign warning of plague is displayed at a parking lot near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge in Colorado. People usually get plague from the bite of a rodent flea that is carrying plague bacteria or by handling an infected animal, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
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A 77-year-old man from Bernalillo County has tested positive for the plague — the second reported case this year — state health officials announced Wednesday.
The case comes a month after a 43-year-old Valencia County man contracted the plague following a camping trip in Rio Arriba County. Both men were hospitalized and later released, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
The infection is the first in Bernalillo County since 2016, NMDOH spokesperson David Barre said.
The plague is a bacterial disease that affects humans and other mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is potentially life-threatening, though it can be cured with swift antibiotic treatment.
Plague occurs naturally in the western United States, where it circulates from wild rodents and other animals, according to the CDC, usually through the bite of an infected rodent or flea or handling of an infected animal.
Owners should keep pets on a flea control regimen in order to prevent plague infections, said Dr. Erin Phipps, state public health veterinarian for NMDOH.
To prevent plague, NMDOH recommends steering clear of any sick or dead rodents and rabbits and their nests and burrows, cleaning up rodent-infested areas near homes and maintaining a safe distance from hay, wood and compost piles. State health officials encourage hikers and people working outside to use insect repellent, and pet owners to have their sick animals promptly evaluated by a veterinarian.
Plague symptoms in humans include sudden fever, chills, headache and weakness, usually accompanied by a painful swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin, armpit or neck areas. Cats and dogs may also experience swelling of the lymph node under the jaw, as well as fever, lethargy and loss of appetite.
In the last 25 years, an average of two people per year contract the plague in New Mexico, though in recent years, infections have been less frequent, officials said.
