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Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the disease, can be seen under an optical microscope.
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A person has been diagnosed with the outbreak in Pueblo County, Colorado, officials said Tuesday.
That was the case. It is indicated Friday with preliminary test results and the source of the infection still under investigation, Pueblo’s Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection said in News release.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis, transmitted by fleas. Although best known for the “Black Death,” which killed millions of Europeans in the Middle Ages, the bacteria spread naturally among wild rodents. Occasionally According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it affects people today.
Plague is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas, contact with infected animals, or inhaling droplets from the cough of an infected person or animal.
Anyone showing symptoms of an outbreak should seek medical attention immediately, the CDC says. Common symptoms include sudden onset of fever and chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and, commonly, swollen lymph nodes with pain.
“Outbreaks can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but a person infected with the virus must be treated quickly to avoid serious complications or death,” said Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Infectious Diseases and Emergency Preparedness at the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection. In the news release.
“We recommend that all individuals protect themselves and their pets from the outbreak,” the department said.
One way to avoid infestations is to remove wild rodents from areas around people such as brush, rock piles, trash and wood piles in homes, garages, sheds and recreation areas, the department said.
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Taking precautions around pets will reduce the risk of transmission. The department recommends treating dogs and cats for fleas, keeping pet food in rodent-proof containers and keeping pets from roaming around rodents or sleeping in bed with you.
In the year From 1970 to 2022, 67 outbreaks were reported in Colorado. According to the CDC. In the year From 2010 to 2015, 3,248 cases of human plague were reported worldwide, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Peru; World Health Organization found.
“A pandemic vaccine is not available in the United States,” says the CDC He says.. “New plague vaccines are in development but are not expected to be on the market in the near future.”