Oregon resident battles bubonic plague, suspects pet cat as culprit

In the state of Oregon, health experts have found someone who has the bubonic plague. It's rare to find the disease now, but it's the same one that caused a lot of deaths in Europe back in the 14th century. That time was known as the Black Death.

The disease report came from Deschutes County in Oregon. That's quite a long way southeast of Portland, which is the biggest city in the state. It's been roughly eight years since Oregon last had a person with bubonic plague.

A rare bubonic plague case found in Oregon: What you should know

Owner came in contact with their cat who was the carrier for this disease (Image via Unsplash/ Llyod Henneman)

Dr. Richard Fawcett from Deschutes County Health Service has announced in a press release that everyone who was near the sick person and their cat has been informed. They have also received medication to prevent them from becoming ill.

Fleas and little animals can carry the bacterium that causes bubonic plague. The bacterium is called Yersinia pestis. Experts think the person in Deschutes County caught the disease from their pet cat.

Because the health workers found the sickness early on, there's not much risk to other people living in Deschutes County. They haven't found anyone else with the disease.

The bubonic plague can start showing signs two to eight days after someone's been in contact with an ill flea or animal. If you get this disease, you might get a fever and feel sick or weak. You might also start shivering, get aches in your muscles, or find lumps that have become red and swollen.

If they don't find the disease early, it can cause a serious infection in a person's lungs or blood. This kind of infection can be very hard to make better and could lead to death.

Symptoms to look out for

keeping the pets away from dead rodents (Image via Unsplash/ Ricky Kharawala)

Experts say that the most common animals carrying the disease in Central Oregon are squirrels and chipmunks. But other rodents can also carry it. Sickness can jump from animals to people if a person is bitten by a flea or comes into contact with a sick animal.

To keep safe, people in Oregon are being advised to:

Avoid rodents and fleas.
Use flea products for their pets and keep pets on a leash.
Keep their cats away from rodents and get their cats to the vet if they fall ill after being near rodents.
Avoid camping, sleeping, or resting near animal burrows or where there are dead rodents.
Not feed squirrels, chipmunks, or other wild rodents.

For people living near the person who got sick and their cat, there's not much to worry about. The health workers found the disease early, which means there's not much risk to the community. Even so, it's always good to listen to advice about health. You should get in touch with a healthcare professional if you're ever worried about anything like this.

About the author

Soniya is currently working as a content specialist for the Pop section at Sportskeeda. She previously worked as an Assistant Content Manager for the Health and Fitness section.

With a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences and five years of writing experience, Soniya is driven by her passion for writing to pursue it full time. She is committed to creating content that is accurate, relevant, and ethical.

Soniya is very careful to check her facts, writes in a way that connects with her readers, and keeps a fair and private approach in her work. She excels in writing about artists, showing how their work fits into history and culture. This way, she gives readers a deeper and more interesting look at their stories.

Soniya’s favorite artists are Haruki Murakami and Sayata Murata. She likes Haruki Murakami because his books mix real life with magical stuff in a fun way. Sayaka Murata writes about normal things but in a way that makes you think differently. Both of their stories are easy to get into and stick with you long after you finish reading.

When not writing, Soniya loves to try out new art mediums to paint. The best part of her day, however, is to spend time with her orange tabby cat.

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Edited by Ankush Das