Plague Data

Plague

Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis. People usually get plague from the bite of a rodent flea that is carrying plague bacteria or by handling an infected animal. Although plague is a rare disease, about half of U.S. cases each year occur in New Mexico. Today, modern antibiotics are effective against plague, but if an infected person is not treated promptly, the disease can be life-threatening.

Plague Brochure

Plague Information for New Mexico Physicians and Health Care Workers

Manual for Investigation and Control of Communicable Diseases in New Mexico, 2008: Plague Chapter

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Frequently Asked Questions About Plague

FAQ - English

Preguntas más frecuentes sobre la peste

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New Mexico Human Case Data

Human Plague in NM by month, year and decade, 1949-2009

Human Plague in NM by County, 1949-2009

Human Plague Cases, 2009 (map and chart)

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Animal Plague in New Mexico

Feline plague in NM, 1977-2009

Confirmed Pet Plague Cases 2004 through 2009

Animal Plague Map, 2007

Animal Plague Map, 2008

Animal Plague Map, 2009

 

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Plague Activity in New Mexico

(updated 08/31/2010)

 

Animal Plague Map, 2010

• A dog from Quay County and a cat from Santa Fe County have tested positive for plague. Both animals recovered after receiving antibiotics from their veterinarians. This is the first confirmed plague in Quay County since 2007, and the second confirmed case of plague in Santa Fe County this year (see press release of 04/16/2010).

• A cat from Rio Arriba County has tested positive for plague. The cat recovered after receiving antibiotics. Pet owners are encouraged to prevent their animals from hunting as much as possible, and to use an appropriate flea control product. Cats and dogs with symptoms of lethargy, fever, and loss of appetite should be examined by a veterinarian.

• A dog from Rio Arriba County has tested positive for plague. The dog made a full recovery and there were no human exposures.

• A dog from Santa Fe County has tested positive for plague. This was the first confirmed plague in New Mexico this year. The dog has fully recovered and there were no human exposures (see press release of 02/11/2010).

• There have been no confirmed human plague cases in New Mexico in 2010.

SELECTED LITERATURE PERTAINING TO PLAGUE IN THE SOUTHEWEST

Eisen RJ, Reynolds PJ, Ettestad P, et al. Residence-linked human plague in New Mexico: a habitat-suitability model. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007;77:121-125.

Eisen RJ, Enscore RE, Biggerstaff BJ, et al. Human plague in the Southwestern United States, 1957-2004: spatial models of elevated risk of human exposure to Yersinia pestis. J Med Entomol. 2007;44:530-537.

Gage KL, Dennis DT, Orloski KA, et al. Cases of cat-associated human plague in the Western US, 1977-1998. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:893-900.

Enscore RE, Biggerstaff BJ, Brown TL, et al. Modeling relationships between climate and the frequency of human plague cases in the Southwestern United States, 1960-1997. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2002;66:186-196.

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RESOURCES AND LINKS

CDC PLAGUE INFORMATION WEBSITE

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION PLAGUE MANUAL

The rock squirrel and its fleas are in important source of human plague in New Mexico.