Colorado Man Infected with Pneumonic Plague
A Colorado man has been infected with pneumonic plague, the rarest and deadliest form of plague. The disease is caused by a bacteria, Yersinia pestis.
Unlike bubonic plague, where bacteria infects underneath the skin via insect bites, in pneumonic plague, the bacteria affects the lungs. The disease can spread through coughing and sneezing, and is treated with antibiotics. Symptoms include fever , headache, chest pain, shortness of breath and bloody mucus.
According to Colorado Public Health and Environment officials, the man may have contracted the disease from his dog, which was found to carry the disease and later died. The man has been hospitalized and receiving treatment, and is no longer considered to be contagious.
There is no vaccine for pneumonic plague; officials recommend keeping pets away from wildlife, especially, dead rodents. More….
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