Colorado public health officials confirm human case of plague

The Department of Public Health and Environment in Pueblo, Colo., on Tuesday said officials were investigating one human case of plague. The plague routinely cycles through animal and rodent populations. Fleas can occasionally transmit the disease to humans, or humans can contract it from contact with animals.

What are the plague’s symptoms? Vomiting, nausea, chills, fever, and muscle and headaches are among the symptoms, according to Pueblo health officials. The plague is responsible for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What can people do to stop the spread of the plague? Pueblo health officials urged residents to eliminate places in their homes where rodents could hide and breed and piles of trash that could encourage rodents’ presence. The city’s health department also encouraged residents to use insect repellent to prevent fleas and insects from biting them. It also asked residents not to touch dead animals or allow their pets to hunt rodents.

Dig deeper: Listen to Amy Lewis’ report on The World and Everything in It podcast about a nurse who contracted Ebola and worked to serve others suffering from the virus.