Oregon health officials confirm first human bubonic plague case since 2015

[libertybele]

Oregon health officials confirm first human bubonic plague case since 2015

An Oregon resident has been infected with the state’s first case of bubonic plague since 2015, health officials said last week.

The resident was likely infected with plague by their symptomatic pet cat, Deschutes County Health Services said in a news release on Wednesday.

"All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness," Dr. Richard Fawcett, the Deschutes County health officer, said in the release without identifying the infected resident.

Officials said there was little risk to the community since the case was identified and treated in the earlier stages of the disease. No additional cases of plague have emerged during the communicable disease investigation. ...........


https://www.foxnews.com/health/oregon-health-officials-confirm-first-human-bubonic-plague-case-since-2015

[PeteS in CA]

Deschutes County is not very populous. Bend is its county seat and might have a population of 100K or a little higher (or might not). The main north-south highway in Oregon is I-5, and Bend is some 100 miles east of I-5 (on US 97). This case was likely from a flea that decided that a domestic kitty would be tastier than a wild squirrel or cotton tail.