The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE), in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), is currently investigating a human case of plague based on preliminary test results.
The plague bacterium, known as Yersinia pestis, can be transmitted by fleas and wild rodents, such as prairie dogs, squirrels, rats, and rabbits.
According to the CDC, “Humans usually become infected through the bite of an infected rodent flea or by handling an infected animal. Plague can be cured with antibiotics, but these must be given promptly to prevent serious illness or death.”
Symptoms of plague include sudden fever and chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and a general feeling of illness. Swollen lymph nodes with pain are also a common symptom.
Plague can manifest in three forms: Bubonic plague infects your lymph nodes, septicemic plague is in your blood and pneumonic plague affects your lungs. Health officials did not specify which form the case in Pueblo County was.
Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at PDPHE, advises individuals to take precautions to protect themselves and their pets from plague.
Solis advised the public on how to protect themselves and their pets from the plague:
“If you develop symptoms of plague, see a health care provider immediately. Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death,” said Alicia Solis.
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