A resident of Coconino County, Arizona, has died from pneumonic plague, a rare bacterial infection that’s usually easily treatable with antibiotics. This is the first recorded death from pneumonic plague in Arizona since 2007.
The plague is relatively rare in humans, with an average of seven cases reported annually in the US, mostly in western states. Pneumonic plague is more deadly and contagious than other forms of the infection.
According to health experts, pneumonic plague spreads through the bites of infected fleas that can infect humans and pets. It’s also transmitted through touching infected bodily fluids. Most cases occur in rural areas of northern New Mexico, Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.
Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2025/07/northern-arizona-resident-dies-from-plague.html