New Mexico Dog Tests Positive for Plague
Posted: June 29, 2011, 7:15 p.m., EDT
Laboratory tests today confirmed Bubonic plague in a Rio Rancho, N.M. dog. State health officials are alerting residents to protect themselves and pets against the zoonotic disease most commonly transmitted by flea bites.
The bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a gram-negative bacterium, can spread to people through infected flea bites or when people come into contact with infected rodents, rabbits and other animals. The bacterium is endemic to most of the Western U.S.
“The infected dog presented to a local veterinarian in Rio Rancho, N.M. with a history of killing sick rabbits about a week before illness onset,” says Paul Ettestad, DVM, MS, New Mexico public health veterinarian. “It had clinical signs of fever, lethargy and anorexia. The veterinarian drew an acute serology that tested negative in the state health department laboratory for both plague and tularemia. A convalescent serology drawn three weeks later showed a greater than four-fold rise in the plague titer (from <4 to 256) which is confirmatory.”
The Centers for Disease Control map counties where positive plague activity has been reported. Positive fleas, wildlife, cats, dogs and human cases are included.
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