Health officials in Deschutes County, Oregon, confirmed a rare case of human plague in a local resident last week, marking the first reported case in the state since 2015. Officials said the individual was likely infected by their pet cat, which showed symptoms of the disease.
“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” Deschutes County Health Officer Dr. Richard Fawcett said in a news release Wednesday.
No additional plague cases have emerged during their investigation, said officials in the mostly rural county in central Oregon.
“Fortunately, this case was identified and treated in the earlier stages of the disease, posing little risk to the community,” the release states.
Though bubonic plague may sound like something out of the history books, this isn’t the first time in recent years we’ve seen the disease pop up in the U.S.
In 2020, California reported its first case of plague in five years . Officials said at the time that the patient, a resident of the South Lake Tahoe area, was recovering at home. Two fatal cases were reported in Colorado in 2015.