State: Lincoln County man dies of plague
A Lincoln County man has died of plague, the first human case of the disease in New Mexico since 2021, state officials announced Friday.
The man, whose identity has not been publicly released, was hospitalized after contracting plague, which is a bacterial disease carried in rodents and most often spread to humans through bites of inflected fleas, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. His death marks the first human plague death since 2020, when a person died in Rio Arriba County.
State health officials cautioned New Mexico residents to avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, as well as their nests and burrows, and urged people to prevent cats and dogs from roaming and hunting, which can lead to pets bringing infected fleas home. They also advise:
♦ Talking to veterinarians about appropriate flea control products.
♦ Seeking prompt veterinary care for sick pets and medical care for “any unexplained illness involving a sudden and severe fever.”
♦ Cleaning up woodpiles, brush piles, junk and abandoned vehicles near homes, and keeping hay, wood and compost well away from homes.
♦ Not leaving pet food or water where rodents and wildlife can access it.
Plague symptoms for humans include sudden fever, chills, headache and weakness, and often painful lymph node swelling in the groin, armpit or neck.
Symptoms for cats and dogs are similar, including fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and sometimes lymph node swelling under the jaw, the state said. Plague in humans and pets can be treated, and prompt diagnosis and appropriate antibiotics greatly reduce death rates. Doctors who suspect plague should report cases to the Department of Health, the news release said.
The state is planning to conduct an environmental assessment and is reaching out to residents in Lincoln County.
A Torrance County resident was diagnosed with plague in 2021. The year before there were four human cases, including in Santa Fe and Torrance counties and the fatal case in Rio Arriba County.