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Oregon cat owner becomes state’s first bubonic plague case in nearly a decade

By KIRO 7 News Staff
A smear of the bubonic plague illness

A bubonic plague smear UNDATED PHOTO: A bubonic plague smear, prepared from a lymph removed from an adenopathic lymph node, or bubo, of a plague patient, demonstrates the presence of the Yersinia pestis bacteria that causes the plague in this undated photo. The FBI has confirmed that about 30 vials that may contain bacteria that could cause bubonic or pneumonic plague have gone missing, then found, from the Health Sciences Center at Texas Tech University January 15, 2003 in Lubbock, Texas. The plague, considered a likely bioterror agent since it's easy to make, is easily treatable with antibiotics if diagnosed early and properly. (Photo by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)

By KIRO 7 News Staff

DESCHUTES COUNTY, Oreg. — The first case of human bubonic plague in Oregon since 2015 has been confirmed, and health officials say it likely came from a pet cat.

It happened in Deschutes County and health officials were able to identify the cat as the source because the animal was also showing symptoms.

“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” said Deschutes County Health Officer Dr. Richard Fawcett.

Pet cats are highly susceptible to plague. The plague can be spread through a flea bite or by contact with an infected rodent before it’s then passed on to humans.

Symptoms in humans usually begin within two to eight days and could include fever, muscle aches, nausea, chills and swollen lymph nodes. If not diagnosed early, the disease can infect the bloodstream or lungs.

While very rare, human cases of the plague do still occur. The last case in Washington was in 1984 when a trapper was exposed while skinning a bobcat.

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