The Plague!

Bubonic Plague Still Exists Globally and is Found in the United States

            Mentioning bubonic plague conjures up thoughts of mass deaths in Europe in the Middle Ages (or maybe Monty Python’s “Bring out Your Dead” skit from The Search for the Holy Grail!) but did you know that bubonic plague still exists and can be found as close as the Western United States? 

While there have been no reported cases of bubonic plague in Pennsylvania, recent news reports of the death of a teenage boy in Colorado this June from septicemic plague and of squirrels found dead of plague and one infected camper in Yosemite National Park just last week bring home the fact that the plague is still alive and well in areas like the Four Corners Region including Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado and in California.  Travel plans to areas where plague exists could put you or your pets at risk. 

            Bubonic plague is actually a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis, and it is spread by fleas that live on small mammals such as mice, rats and squirrels.  Cats and dogs can also be infected with the plague.  There are three forms:  bubonic (classic plague, affects the lymph nodes), septicemic (directly enters the bloodstream), and pneumonic (affects the lungs/airborne). 

Dogs and cats in plague-endemic areas may bring home fleas infected with the bacteria.  These fleas can then bite people spreading the disease.  Cats pose a unique risk as they are highly susceptible to plague and can become infected with the pneumonic form which can be spread from cat to person by sneezing aerosolized droplets containing bacteria.  People can also be infected by bites, scratches or contact with bodily fluids from an infected cat or other animal.  Infected cats often have swollen lymph nodes under their jaw or may have what looks like a typical abscess from a bite wound.  Dogs are less likely to develop symptoms than cats.  Makes using flea preventatives on a regular basis look pretty important, doesn’t it?

            We are not likely to see the plague in York County, but this stresses the importance of parasite control and regular visits to the vet.  If you travel with your pet to areas out west or are planning a visit to a campground in an affected U.S. state, please take proper precautions and avoid contact with rodents or areas that may be flea-infested. 

            This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding areas. 

Photo of Yosemite National Park by author