By Ethan Covey
Public health officials in Pueblo County, Colo., have reported a case of human plague—the first to be confirmed in the county.
Little information has been released regarding the case, except that the disease affected a person who resides in Pueblo County.
“If you develop symptoms of plague, see a healthcare provider immediately,” said Alicia Solis, the program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment. “Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death.”
According to the CDC, an average of seven cases of human plague are reported in the United States each year, with most occurring in the West.
The first signs of illness are fever, headache, weakness and rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and sometimes bloody/watery sputum.
Although a plague vaccine is not available in the United States, early treatment with antibiotics—ideally given within 24 hours of the development of symptoms—can result in a full recovery.
