Person in Oregon catches bubonic plague from pet cat, officials report

A cat owner in Oregon has caught the bubonic plague from their pet, local health officials have said.

The case was identified and treated in its early stages and doesn’t pose much risk to the community, authorities said on Wednesday.

Deschutes County Public Health told ITV News that the person infected “is responding well to standard antibiotic treatment” but that the cat “succumbed to the infection” and did not survive.

All close contacts of the person and their pet were contacted and given medication to prevent illness, authorities said.

Symptoms of bubonic plague include a sudden fever, nausea, weakness, chills and muscle aches, the health service said. Symptoms tend to start between two and eight days after being exposed to an infected animal or flea.

The bacteria travel from the site of a bite to a lymph node, which then becomes inflamed and painful.

The plague can be treated with antibiotics, but only with an early diagnosis.

If left undiagnosed, bubonic plague can lead to bloodstream and lung infections, which can be difficult to treat.

Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague, but it is still very uncommon. Oregon last reported a case in 2015.

Worldwide between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of plague are reported each year, according to the World Health Organization.