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Michigan reports first case of plague in its history
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A Michigan resident diagnosed with bubonic plague appears to have contracted the infection during a recent trip to Colorado, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The patient — a resident of Marquette County — has received appropriate treatment and currently is recovering, the release said. There is no concern of human-to-human transmission resulting from this case.
“People who are traveling and recreating outdoors in the western United States should be aware of the risk for exposure to plague,” Eden V. Wells, MD, MPH, chief medical executive for the state’s health agency, said in the press release. “Use insect repellent on your clothing and skin, and make sure that any pets that may be along are receiving regular flea treatments.”
This is the first case of plague ever reported in Michigan, the release said, and the 14th case reported nationally this year. According to a recent MMWR report, this number is well above the annual average.
“During 2001-2012, the annual number of human plague cases reported in the United States ranged from one to 17 (median = three cases),” Natalie Kwit, DVM, an epidemic intelligence service office at the CDC, and colleagues wrote. “It is unclear why the number of cases in 2015 is higher than usual.”
Reference:
Kwit N, et al. MMWR. 2015;64:918-919.