MIAMI (AFP) -
An unusually high number of cases of human plague have been recorded by US health authorities since April -- 11 in all, with three of them fatal, officials said Tuesday.
"It is unclear why the number of cases in 2015 is higher than usual," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The CDC said that having 11 cases in just the past four months is unusual.
"During 2001?2012, the annual number of human plague cases reported in the United States ranged from one to 17," the agency said in a statement.
The median number of annual plague cases across the past decade has been three.
Plague is a rare and dangerous disease that is caused by a bacterium, known as Yersinia pestis, that circulates in wild rodents and their fleas.
People can get the plague if they are bitten by an infected flea, or if they come in close contact with an infected person or animal, including cats and dogs, health authorities said.
This year's cases originated in the western United States, with four cases in Colorado and two each in Arizona, New Mexico and California. Another infection took place in Oregon.
Read more:
http://www.france24.com/en/20150825-us-reports-unusual-spike-human-plague-casesScary headline, low numbers. It's silly season over here as well, don't forget.
