Oregon Girl Diagnosed With Bubonic Plague After Hunting Trip
A 16-year-old Oregon girl has been diagnosed with the Bubonic Plague after returning from a hunting trip.
The Oregon Health Authority has said that the girl likely contracted the disease after a flea bite during a hunting trip on October 16th. She got sick five days later, and was admitted to ICU at a local hospital.
Unfortunately, the disease isn't just a thing that happened a few hundred years ago, and disappeared.
"Many people think of the plague as a disease of the past, but it's still very much present in our environment, particularly among wildlife," said state public health veterinarian Emilio DeBess. "Fortunately, plague remains a rare disease, but people need to take appropriate precautions with wildlife and their pets to keep it that way."
She is the 16th case of the plague this year. 1,000 to 2,000 cases are reported to the World Health Organization every year.
The CDC says that the Bubonic Plague is a disease that is carried by rodents, and the fleas that they carry.
The disease is treatable with antibiotics if caught early.
Here are some ways to prevent acquiring the disease:
- Avoid sick or dead rodents, rabbits and squirrels, and their nests and burrows.
- Keep your pets from roaming and hunting.
- Talk to your veterinarian about using an appropriate flea control product on your pets.
- Clean up areas near the house where rodents could live, such as woodpiles, brush piles, junk and abandoned vehicles.
- Sick pets should be examined promptly by a veterinarian.
- See your doctor about any unexplained illness involving a sudden and severe fever.
- Put hay, wood, and compost piles as far as possible from your home.
- Don't leave your pet's food and water where mice can get to it.
- Veterinarians and their staff are at higher risk and should take precautions when seeing suspect animal plague cases.
If you think you may have come in contact with the Bubonic Plague, here are the symptoms to look out for: high fever, lethargy and swollen lymph nodes, most commonly in the neck and under the jaw. Infected lymph nodes may spontaneously abscess and drain.
More From Classic Rock 105.1
