Oregon Reports First Human Bubonic Plague Case in Nearly 10 Years

Oregon Reports First Human Bubonic Plague Case in Nearly 10 Years

The last we checked the state of public health in Oregon, the city of Portland was experiencing a bacterial outbreak found usually in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The disease was shigella, a highly contagious infection that is spread through tiny particles of fecal matter, and officials warned that the homeless population are most at risk of catching the illness.

Portland: come for the diversity, stay because you’re dying of bacterial infection.

— Tanner Gregory (@TGhm1975) December 28, 2023

Now the state is reporting its first human bubonic plague case in nearly 10 years. It appears the pet cat was the carrier of the fleas that led to this particular infection.

The “local resident” of Deschutes County — a rural part of central Oregon — is believed to be the only person infected, health officials announced Wednesday.

Other than the symptomatic pet, that is.

“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” Deschutes County Health Officer Dr. Richard Fawcett said in a statement.

The person and their cat’s conditions are not yet known, but officials said the case was diagnosed and treated early, posing little risk to the community.

The bubonic plague — famous for ravaging Europe in the 14th century — is carried by squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents and their fleas. When an infected rodent becomes sick and dies, its fleas can carry the infection to other animals or humans through bites.

Public health officials assure everyone this is a rare instance of human infection, and there is no risk to the community of an outbreak. Interestingly, 2012 also involved a pet cat.

No additional cases of plague have emerged during the communicable disease investigation, according to officials.

…There had been eight cases in the state in the previous 20 years, with none leading to deaths.

In 2012, an Oregon man lost his fingers and toes to the plague. He also contracted the disease from his cat after trying to remove a mouse from his cat’s throat.

As cats are inclined to hunt rodents, felines are more susceptible to being infected with and spreading bubonic plague.

Pets can then transfer the infection to humans via tissue or bodily fluids, such as respiratory droplets from cough or sneezes. Alternatively, they might carry home fleas that in turn bite humans.

Cats are particularly susceptible to plague because their bodies have a hard time clearing the infection and they’re more likely than some other pets to chase and capture rodents.

However, there is a reason to be wary about the assurances of public health officials. Four years ago, there were warnings that homelessness was leading to a resurgence of medieval illnesses. Plague was listed as one of the diseases of concern then.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed concern about the rise of typhus in his State of the State address this year, calling it a “medieval disease … in 2019.”

Infectious disease specialists say the problem is real. And it’s not just typhus. It’s also plague — yes, plague — shigellosis and bartonella quintana.

One reason is homelessness, especially in Western states like California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada, where more than half the homeless population is unsheltered, according to Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, a board member with the Infectious Disease Society of America.

“It’s very difficult for people who have underlying medical conditions — which the homeless suffer from to a degree that’s much greater than people who are housed with respect to chronic diseases, mental health, trauma and wounds, you name it — it’s very difficult for these folks to access medical care for their chronic conditions,” Duchin tells Here & Now’s Robin Young.

Homelessness, paired with a massive surge of illegal immigration, has only made the problem worse. “Experts” will attempt to explain the rise in ancient contagions away with “climate change”.

In part, that is true. However, it’s not the planetary climate in this case…it is the political climate.

Hopefully, bubonic plague will continue to be rare, and readily treated. The alternative is too chilling to contemplate.

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