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A woman in Wyoming has been diagnosed with pneumonic plague, a rare condition she likely caught from her pet cats, according to news reports.
On September 15, health authorities announced that they had detected a “rare but serious” case of Plague in a person living in northern Fremont County, Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park, according to a statement from the Wyoming Department of Health. The person appears to have contracted the disease through “contact with sick pet cats,” the statement said.
Related: 11 ways your beloved pet can make you sick
Plague, which is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, is perhaps best known for causing the Black death in Europe in the 1300s. Infection still occurs worldwide today, but it is quite rare. In the United States, about seven cases of plague occur each year, on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease is limited to the western United States and is most commonly reported in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. The woman’s case marks the seventh human case of plague in Wyoming since 1978 and the first reported case in the state since 2008, the statement said.
Humans can get plague from flea bites or from contact with infected animals or their bodily tissues or fluids. More than 80% of human plague cases in the United States are due to the so-called bubonic plague, a form of the disease that typically spreads through flea bites and causes swollen lymph nodes called “buboes,” according to the CDC.
The woman’s case is particularly unusual because she was infected with pulmonary plague, the rarest and most severe form of the disease. It’s also the only form of the disease that can spread from person to person, according to the CDC.
People can get pneumonic plague when they inhale infectious droplets spread by another person or animal with pneumonic plague. People can also develop pneumonic plague from other forms of plague, including bubonic plague, if they are not treated quickly.
Cats are “very sensitive” to the plague and are a known source of infections in humans, according to the CDC. Cats with pulmonary plague “may present a significant risk of plague to owners, veterinarians and others who handle or come into close contact with these animals due to possible aerosolization of bacteria”, the agency indicated on its website.
Plague can be treated with antibiotics, but early treatment is important to avoid serious complications, including death. Before the advent of antibiotics, the plague death rate in the United States was around 66%, but today the rate is around 11%, according to the CDC.
The Wyoming Department of Health did not release further details about the patient or her current condition. A health officer said Gizmodo that the woman is currently exhibiting severe symptoms.
Authorities are advising people who have been exposed to the patient so they can receive “post-exposure” antibiotics to help prevent the disease, the statement said.
Originally posted on Live Science.
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