First case of Black Death recorded in the United States

A case of the Black Death was identified last week in Oregon, USA. According to Daily mailAuthorities are on alert and are taking measures to combat a possible outbreak. This is the first case in the state since a 16-year-old boy contracted the disease in 2015.

It is believed that the person in question contracted the virus from a cat. “All close contacts of the resident and pet have been identified and given medications to prevent illness,” Dr. Richard Fawcett, Deschutes County health officer, said in a statement quoted by the newspaper.

The risk to the public is low because the case was identified and treated in the early stages of the disease, the official said. No other cases of infectious disease were identified during the investigation.

The infectious bacterial disease is carried by squirrels, wild rodents and their fleas. When an infected rodent becomes ill and dies, fleas can transmit the infection to other animals or people through their bites.

The disease is treatable with antibiotics if detected early, but can be fatal if not treated. The Black Death is characterized by high fever, lethargy and enlarged glands.

There is currently no vaccine against plague. According to Daily mailAuthorities recommend people avoid any contact with wild rodents, especially sick or dead ones, and never feed squirrels.

Pet owners are also advised to keep their pets away from wild rodents to avoid infestation.