1 person dies from the plague in Arizona
Doctors say plague is treatable & extremely rare
One person in Flagstaff died from the plague, but the Arizona Public Health Association says there's no need to worry. Doctors say it's very treatable and there are things you can do to protect yourself.
The Arizona Public Health Association is advising the public that there is no need to worry about the plague, despite one person in Flagstaff dying from the disease. Doctors emphasize that it is very treatable, and there are steps individuals can take to protect themselves.
When many hear the word "plague," their minds often jump to the Bubonic Plague from the 1300s, which, as Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association, stated, "this disease actually killed between a third and a half of Europe."
However, Humble explained that the word has a different meaning today.
"That is never going to happen in the rest of human history. We've figured out how to limit this disease," he stated.
What they're saying:
Although health officials in Coconino County announced its first recorded death from pneumonic plague since 2007, Humble says there's no need for panic.
He described how the disease typically spreads: "You have to have an infected prairie dog colony, that colony has to have fleas living on the prairie dogs, then you have to have usually a pet, cat or dog, to go into that prairie dog colony, get bit by the fleas, then they come home, the dog has fleas, and then they can bite the human, and that's how the human can get the plague."
Humble clarified that while pneumonic plague is caused by the same bacteria as Bubonic Plague, it is less visible in patients because it presents as pneumonia.
"It's really difficult, I think, for a clinician to identify pneumonic plague," he added.
Despite being able to spread among people, he noted that it isn't as contagious as COVID-19 and is treatable.
"There is an antibiotic for this, but you have to get the antibiotic on board in time," Humble said.
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1 person dies of the plague in northern Arizona
One person is dead, according to officials with Northern Arizona Healthcare, on the same day they showed up at Flagstaff Medical Center with symptoms of the plague.
Should people living or camping in northern Arizona worry?
"No, I mean, it's really rare," Humble assured. "The only precaution is really to just keep your dogs on a leash, and people should be doing that anyway, right?"
In Arizona, the plague is most common in Coconino, Navajo, or Apache counties, but the chances of contracting it there are extremely low.
It's important to note that while Will Humble mentioned prairie dogs in the interview, Coconino County states that this specific case was not related to the recent prairie dog die-off near Flagstaff.