Oregon's first case of human plague in 8 years likely came from cat
Health officials announced that a resident of Deschutes County — a rural part of Oregon — was diagnosed with plague, the state's first human case in more than eight years.
Health officials announced this week that a resident of Deschutes County — a rural part of Oregon — was diagnosed with plague, marking the state's first human case in more than eight years. The person was likely infected by their pet cat, who had developed symptoms, according to Deschutes County Health Services.
Humans are most commonly exposed to plague from the bites of fleas carrying Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the disease. Household pets can get also infected if they hunt rodents infected with plague or are similarly bitten by an infected flea.
Pets can then transfer the infection to humans via tissue or bodily fluids, such as respiratory droplets from cough or sneezes. Alternatively, they might carry home fleas that in turn bite humans.
Cats are particularly susceptible to plague because their bodies have a hard time clearing the infection and they're more likely than some other pets to chase and capture rodents.
Plague is much rarer in dogs. However, in 2014, Colorado reported four cases of plague among people who had been in close contact with an infected pit bull terrier, including the dog's owner and two veterinary clinic employees.
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