ALERT: Officials Report Fleas in Two Arizona Counties Tested Positive for the Plague

by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton | August 14, 2017 11:44 am

The bubonic plague[1] is always present in one form or another in the US, just as hantavirus is. My sister contracted hantavirus in Colorado years ago and almost died. You get it typically from mouse droppings. Bubonic plague is typically spread by fleas that carry the disease. Two Arizona counties have now had fleas there test positive for bubonic plague. This plague is fortunately not a death sentence anymore if caught in time.

Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, which can be as large as chicken eggs, in the groin, armpit or neck. They may be tender and warm. Others include fever, chills, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. It is treated with heavy doses of antibiotics. This is the same disease that killed millions in Europe during the Dark Ages. They didn’t have antibiotics the way we do now. Though not a guaranteed life saver, your chances are much greater with that treatment and most survive after being treated by a doctor in a hospital.

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From Breitbart[3]:

Fleas in two Arizona counties tested positive for the Bubonic plague — the same disease that killed millions of people in the 14th century throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe, public health officials say.

Navajo County public health officials announced Friday that fleas collected near the town of Taylor tested positive for Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes the Bubonic plague, the Associated Press reports.

The announcement came one week after Coconino County officials first discovered fleas in the area found to be carrying the plague.

KNXV reports that Coconino County officials first discovered the plague-infested fleas in the Red Lake area last week but also found fleas in the Doney Park area that tested positive for the disease.

Officials in both counties have notified residents and are monitoring the situation.

Arizona has been host to a host of plague outbreaks among prairie dogs over the years.

The International Business Times reported in 2015 that another outbreak of the plague took place among prairie dogs in Flagstaff. Public health officials became aware of the plague outbreak after testing several fleas in animal burrows for Yersinia pestis.

Residents have been notified of the findings. They are being told if they see a huge die off of rodents, to report it. Fleas carrying the plague are killing off prairie dogs especially in the area. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 15 humans were infected with the bubonic plague in 2015. The CDC says that most outbreaks of the plague among humans take place in the Southwest region of the US. And people living there are very aware of it for the most part.

The announcement[4] by Navajo County Public Health officials on Friday comes one week after Coconino County officials found prairie dogs in the area to be carrying fleas with the plague. Both counties are in Northern Arizona. “Navajo County Health Department is urging the public to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure to this serious disease, which can be present in fleas, rodents, rabbits and predators that feed upon these animals,” the public health warning states. “The disease can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected flea or by direct contact with an infected animal.”

Officials also urged persons living, working, camping or visiting in these areas to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure, including avoiding sick or dead animals, keeping pets from roaming loose and avoiding rodent burrows and fleas. People should be vigilant, but by no means panic over this. The plague is making the rounds as it does every few years and it is something to be aware of and watch for.

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Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/health/alert-officials-report-fleas-two-arizona-counties-tested-positive-plague/

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