Health officials in Oregon, in the United States, recently reported the country’s first case of “bubonic plague” in eight years and warned that the unnamed patient may have contracted the deadly medieval disease from a domestic cat, The Sun reported.
Part of the Black Death – a group of plagues – this infection usually begins with flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, fever, chills and headache, followed by abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
However, in some cases, patients may bleed from the mouth, nose or anus.
Dr. Richard Fawcett, the state health officer, said the patient who contracted the bug became “very ill” and the infection worsened to the point of oozing pus-filled sores, called “bubo”, a rare symptom these days.
They assured that the patient is responding well to antibiotic treatment and that their relatives have also been treated to prevent further spread of this infectious bacterial disease, which is carried by wild rodents and their fleas.
While health officials have not concluded how the infection spread from the cat to the owner, they suspect the cat may have been bitten by infected fleas, exposing the owner as well.
Alternatively, the owner may have been in contact with contaminated cat fluids.
Cats are highly susceptible to plague due to their inability to rid themselves of the infection and their tendency to chase and catch flea-carrying rodents.
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How deadly is the “bumonic plague”?
According to the World Health Organization, the number of plague cases worldwide is 1,000-2,000 per year, and although it can be treated with modern medicine, untreated cases of bubonic plague can lead to instant death.
The Black Death, which first broke out in the 14th century, became the deadliest recorded pandemic in history. It killed 200 million people in Africa and Asia and wiped out 60% of Europe’s population.
Although many believe the disease is gone, some countries still experience deadly outbreaks due to animals carrying the bacteria.
Plague has been reported in the United States, Peru, China, Bolivia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Russia.
Experts advise travelers to use insect repellent when near nature and to avoid any close contact with sick or dead animals and crowded areas where plague has recently been reported.
