A pet cat infected its owner with a rare case of the bubonic plague in Oregon, United States on February 13th. This is the first case in the state to be found since 2015. Officials said that it was likely to have been transmitted through the resident’s pet cat who was showing symptoms of the disease. Humans can contract the condition through flea bites which carry the bacterium.
It is likely for symptoms to show within 2-8 days from exposure, which can include swollen lymph nodes, fevers and chills. There are three types of plague including bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic, majority of cases found are bubonic.
This virus is caused by a bacterium which is often found in rodents and fleas; however, it is a lot rarer and low risk compared to the outbreak in the Middle Ages.
All those in contact with the resident and the pet were contacted and provided with medical assistance to prevent an outbreak. This is now easily treatable with antibiotics as soon as symptoms occur, likely to be taken for 7-14 days. If the condition is not treated early on, there are further risks such as infections making it into the bloodstream.
Cases of the plague are rare although it is still present, there were two cases reported in Colorado in 2015 and there was a first case in 5 years found in California back in 2020.