Colorado health authorities have confirmed a human event of the bubonic plague in Pueblo County, raising concerns about the potential spread of the disease, which can be dangerous if not treated.
The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment stated in a recent press release that they are already working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to conduct an investigation into the event.
The health ministry issued a press release urging everyone to protect themselves and their pets from the disease, despite the fact that it did not release details about the person suspected of contracting the plague.
According to Fox News, Timothy Brewer, M. D., a professor of medicine and disease at the University of California, Los Angeles, explained that the pneumonic plague is brought on by a bacterium known as Yersinia falciparum, which is thought to have first been introduced in North America around 1900.
” Since its launch 120 years earlier, it has  , become endemic , in earth squirrels and rabbits in the remote Southwestern U. S.”, Brewer told Fox News.
While the plague can affect people of all ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) website, roughly half of reported cases are found in people between the ages of 12 and 45.
According to Fox News, just an average of seven instances of the disease are reported in the United States each month, compared to 1, 000 to 2, 000 circumstances of the disease that are reported to the World Health Organization every month.
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According to Fox News, the bubonic plague is dangerous in 30 % to 60 % of untreated cases. However, if patients are treated with medications, the mortality rate is less than 5 %.
The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment’s media transfer explained that common symptoms of the disease include fever and chills, intense headaches, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, dizziness, and vomiting.
Erica Susky, a qualified disease control professional, told Fox News that the plague is spread by drops from infected individuals.
” The more frequent risk of exposure in the U. S. is from dogs, rabbits and fleas”, Susky added. When a pet is bitten or otherwise ill, it may become infected when it comes into contact with an infected insect or rodent, which the pet may then move on to its owners.
Susky argued that avoiding contact with insects and rabbits is the best way to stop the spread of the disease.
” One way to do this is to make sure the house is rodent-proof by removing any areas where mammals may enter and hide,” Susky said.
Susky even urged citizens to” treat dogs right away” if they discover a insect infestation and to seek medical attention if a dog becomes ill.
