A person in northern Arizona has died from a case of bubonic plague, local health officials said.
The individual, who was not identified, was treated at Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department and died there the same day despite life-saving attempts, according to a statement from Northern Arizona Healthcare.
Rapid diagnostic testing by the Arizona Department of Health Services found that the patient had Yersinia pestis, which is the bacteria that causes the plague, according to Northern Arizona Healthcare.
The plague is historically associated with the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was rampant and led to one of the deadliest outbreaks in the continent's history. It's sometimes referred to as "The Black Death."
Cases of bubonic plague are extremely rare in the U.S. with an average of seven cases reported per year since 2000, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even rarer are deaths attributed to the plague, with the last death in the U.S. occurring in 2021.
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However, most of the cases that are reported come from the southwestern region, including Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, Nevada, California and southern Oregon.
The bacteria that cause plague are transmitted by fleas and wild rodents, according to the CDC. People usually get plague after being bitten by an infected rodent flea or by handling an infected animal.
Symptoms usually include fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, painful lymph nodes, the CDC said.
Northern Arizona Healthcare said it is working with Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Arizona Department of Health Services to address contact tracing and community health information.
