US EditionNew Mexico Reports First Plague Case of 2025
A 43-year-old man likely contracted plague from flea bites while camping in wildlife areas where the disease circulates, health officials said.
- On Monday, the New Mexico Department of Health reported its first human plague case this year, involving a 43-year-old man from Valencia County who was hospitalized and later discharged.
- Health officials say the man may have been exposed while camping in Rio Arriba County, where plague spreads via flea bites from rodents and wildlife carrying infected fleas.
- Doctors treated the patient with antibiotic treatment for bubonic and septicemic plague and hospitalized him before release, noting symptoms like fever, chills, headache, and painful swollen lymph nodes.
- Dr. Erin Phipps urged residents and pet owners in rural areas to stay alert and seek prompt care due to plague's severe threat, while NMDOH recommended avoiding sick or dead rodents, using insect repellent, securing wood and hay, and controlling fleas on pets.
- Historically, New Mexico has seen plague cases with the first human infection in 2025 reported recently after camping exposure in Rio Arriba County.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Source New Mexico
New Mexico health officials confirm first 2025 human plague case
The bacteria which causes the plague, Yersinia pestis, circulates in rodent populations such as mice, rats, prairie dogs, ground squirrels or rabbits throughout the Western U.S. and can spread to people and animals (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Health officials on Monday reported New Mexico’s first human case of plague in a 43-year-old Valencia County man. Plague, a fast-moving bacterial infection that can impact th…
Health officials report case of plague in Valencia County
VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – State health officials are reporting the year's first case of plague in a person. The New Mexico Department of Health said a 43-year-old man from Valencia County was hospitalized with the bacterial disease but has since been discharged. The mystery behind medallion trees in the Sandia Mountains They said the man recently spent time camping in Rio Arriba County, and may have contracted the plague there. Plague…
First human case of plague reported in New Mexico
SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The New Mexico Department of Health is reporting a human case of the plague. This is the first reported human plague case of the year. The 43-year-old man from Valencia County, south of Albuquerque, had recently been camping in Rio Arriba County, near the border with Colorado. The health department says the patient could have been exposed while camping, as the bacterial diseases is known to circulate among wildlife…
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