A person in Coconino County, Arizona, has died from pneumonic plague, a rare and severe lung infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. The death is the first recorded case of pneumonic plague in the county since 2007.
The victim, whose age, name, and gender have not been released, entered the Flagstaff Medical Center emergency department and died on July 11. Despite initial management and resuscitation efforts, the patient did not recover.
Coconino County officials confirmed the death and are investigating a sudden die-off of prairie dogs north-east of Flagstaff that may be related to plague. However, they maintain that the human death is unrelated to the prairie dog mortalities.
Pneumonic plague is extremely rare in humans, with only about seven cases reported annually in the US. It can spread through airborne droplets and causes pneumonia and respiratory symptoms. The bacterium also causes bubonic plague, which affects lymph nodes and is typically transmitted through rodent flea bites or contact with contaminated material.
US health officials say the risk of human-to-human transmission of pneumonic plague is low, but symptoms may appear within eight days after exposure and can include fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle pain, and swollen lymph nodes. The country has recorded seven cases of plague since 2006, including a reported death in 2007.
As the county investigates the prairie dog die-off, officials are advising residents to take precautions to avoid contracting the plague, such as avoiding contact with wild animals, touching sick or dead animals, and using insect repellent.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/14/arizona-death-pneumonic-plague