Oregon resident infected with bubonic plague by pet cat, officials say

globalnews.ca:

bubonic plague, likely from their symptomatic pet cat.Bubonic plague was responsible for tens of millions of fatalities across Europe and Central Asia during the Black Death, one of the deadliest events in human history. Nowadays, the plague is easily treated with antibiotics as long as the infection is caught early enough.Thankfully for the Oregon resident who was infected, “this case was identified and treated in the earlier stages of the disease, posing little risk to the community.”The Deschutes County Health Services announced the positive case of plague on Feb.

7.“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” said Dr. Richard Fawcett, a health officer with Deschutes County.No additional cases of bubonic plague have been reported.Oregon public health officials also noted that pet cats “are highly susceptible to plague, and infected cats can transmit the bacterium to humans.”If possible, officials advise cat owners to discourage their pets from hunting rodents.The last case of bubonic plague in Oregon occurred in 2015, so the disease is considered rare by the Oregon Health Authority.