Plague Prevention: Plague still poses death threat
November 10, 2007
An otherwise healthy 37-year-old wildlife biologist who worked at the Grand Canyon National Park was discovered dead in his home from the plague. Health officials investigating the death of Eric York believe he contracted the plague after performing an autopsy on a dead mountain lion. Several days after handling the plague-infected mountain lion, York developed flu-like symptoms.
The plague is transmitted primarily from the fleas of domestic rats, but can be transmitted from the infected fleas of squirrels, prairie dogs, wood rats, chipmunks, domestic cats and dogs who have come into contact with an animal infested with plague infected fleas. While the last plague epidemic in the US occurred in 1924, each year up to 40 cases of the plague are reported. Approximately one in seven people who contract the plague will not survive the pneumonia with high fever, cough, bloody sputum, and chills that develop.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in North America cases of plague occur most often in northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado, another in California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.
While the plague is said to be transmitted primarily by plague infected fleas bites, it can be contracted through contact with the body fluids or blood of a plague infected animal, and by inhaling infected droplets sprayed by a person or animal coughing and sneezing. During a plague epidemic, human to human transmission can occur.
The CDC offers this advice in plague prevention:
- Eliminating food and shelter for rodents in and around homes, work places, and recreation areas by making buildings rodent-proof, and by removing brush, rock piles, junk, and food sources (such as pet food) from properties.
- Reporting rodents found sick or dead to local health departments.
- Use of appropriate and licensed insecticides to kill fleas during wild animal plague outbreaks to reduce the risk to humans.
- Weekly treatment of pet dogs and cats for fleas.
During the Middle Ages, Europe experienced episodic epidemic outbreaks of the plague. At that time, little was known about the importance of personal hygiene or how the plague was spread. It was during this time that the story of the famous Four Thieves Vinegar was told.