Summary
Public health officials in Apache County, Arizona, have confirmed the first human case of plague in the county since 2015. The patient has recovered, and the risk to the public is considered low as investigators look into how the exposure happened. Officials emphasize that the disease, which is treatable with antibiotics, most commonly spreads through infected fleas or animals.
Key Facts
- Apache County, Arizona, reported its first human case of plague since 2015.
- The patient has fully recovered after medical treatment.
- Authorities are investigating how the person got infected but found no evidence of the disease spreading from person to person.
- Plague is a disease that occurs naturally in the southwestern United States, in rodents and fleas.
- Symptoms of plague include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
- Only one human plague case has been confirmed in the U.S. in 2026.
- New Mexico reported the first animal plague case of 2026 in a dog, which recovered after treatment.
- Health officials advise people to avoid contact with wild rodents and use flea control on pets.
