MightyMeatia News Round-Up! 2-16-24

NEW: Oregon Officials Report Bubonic Plague in Local Resident

• Deschutes County Health Services has confirmed a case of human plague in a local resident. The individual was likely infected by their symptomatic pet cat.

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

• According to Oregon Health Authority, plague is rare in Oregon, with the last case reported in 2015. It spreads to humans or animals through a bite from an infected flea or by contact with an animal sick with the disease. The most common animals to carry plague in Central Oregon are squirrels and chipmunks, but mice and other rodents can also carry the disease.