Health officials in Pueblo County are investigating a possible case of plague after one person’s preliminary test came back positive.
The Pueblo County Department of Public Health and Environment didn’t release any information about the person or their condition. Plague is treatable with antibiotics in the early stages, but has a high fatality rate later in the course of the illness.
Plague can spread from person to person, but that isn’t common. Typically, people get infected after a bite from an infected flea, or after touching a sick or dead animal. The disease circulates regularly in prairie dogs and other small mammals in Colorado.
To prevent plague:
Eliminate places where rodents may hide on your property and keep pet food in rodent-proof containers
Don’t touch sick or dead animals. If you must move a dead animal, wear insect repellant and use a long-handled shovel to place the animal in a garbage bag, then throw it away.
Use insect repellant during outdoor recreation
Keep pets away from wild animals. Treat them for fleas regularly, and don’t let them share your bed
Colorado recorded 72 cases of plague in humans from 2005 to 2021, including 11 deaths.
Last year, at least one person got infected in the state.
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Originally Published: July 8, 2024 at 3:09 p.m.
