Published Date: 2012-09-16 19:53:58
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Plague - USA (05): (OR), 2nd case
Archive Number: 20120916.1296380
PLAGUE - USA (05): (OREGON), SECOND CASE
*****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Fri 14 Sep 2012
Source: KPTV [edited]
http://www.kptv.com/story/19548445/second-person-in-oregon
New lab results show a 2nd person became infected with the plague in June 2012 after being bitten by a sick cat, health officials in Oregon said Friday, 14 Sep 2012. The woman was bitten around the same time as a Prineville man who became ill
with the plague in June 2012. He had tried to take a dead rodent from the cat's mouth in a rural area outside the Central Oregon city. The man became seriously ill, but survived.
Blood tests later conducted on the woman were sent to the CDC and the results, just returned to the Crook County Health Department in Prineville, OR, confirmed she had the plague. Fortunately, antibiotics given to the woman were effective in stopping the plague's symptoms, officials said.
Karen Yeargain, a communicable disease coordinator in Crook County, said she started investigating 10 Jun 2012 after learning of the 1st case of the plague. "With the help of the sick man's family, a list was put together of all persons who might be at risk," said Karen Yeargain, of the Crook County Health Department.
Health workers said the woman happened to be at a hospital out of the area with a family member. When she tried to get treatment for the plague, she was met with disbelief by hospital staff, Yeargain said. She soon began to experience early plague symptoms.
"With my phone call confirming that this was real, the hospital emergency department literally walked her medication to the room where she was located and got her started," Yeargain said. "We got to her just in time. If this hadn't happened, we would have had another critically ill person on our hands."
Plague is a bacterial illness spread through the bite of infected fleas or through direct contact with an animal or person who is ill with the disease. In this case, the illness did not spread from person to person.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Since the woman was an at risk person listed by the family of the initial case, it may well be the case that the same feline was the source of what is presumed to be bubonic plague in this case. The confirmational tests from CDC are not stated but may well be serological and not microbiological. -Mod. LL
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1fWb.]
See Also
Plague - USA (04): (CO) septicemic 20120828.1269118Plague - USA (03): (OR) septicemic, recovery 20120719.1206257
Plague - USA (02): (OR), septicemic 20120612.1165863
Plague - USA: (NM) 20120601.1153277
2011
----
Plague - USA (05): (OR), septicemic 20110920.2855
Plague, animal - USA (04): (NM) canine 20110701.1999
Plague, animal - USA (03): (CO) 20110612.1792
Plague, animal - USA (02): (OR) feline 20110610.1773
Plague - USA (03): (NM) bubonic 20110530.1655
Plague - USA (02): (NM) bubonic 20110510.1439
Plague, animal - USA: (NM) canine, feline 20110421.1240
Plague - USA: (OR), 2010, bubonic, CDC 20110224.0615
Plague, fatal - USA: (IL), 2009, lab strain, CDC 20110224.061
Plague - USA: (OR), 2010, bubonic, CDC 20110224.0615
Plague, fatal - USA: (IL), 2009, lab strain, CDC 20110224.0614
.................................................sb/ll/jw