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USU tests for human plague in state By
Maggon Osmond
Utah State University is testing dead animals found in Millard County for traces of human plague. On Friday, the Central Utah Public Health Department was notified by Craig Nichols, state epidemiologist, of a patient with symptoms consistent with human plague. Two environmental health scientists were dispatched to Millard County, in southwest Utah, to inspect the patient's home and surroundings. A few dead animals were carefully collected and transported to USU for testing. "These last few weeks have been a public health challenge in rural Utah," said Robert Resendes, health officer of the Central Utah Public Health Department. "Two hantavirus cases in Carbon County with one fatality, a confirmed human plague case in Washington County and now a possible case of human plague in Millard County." Closer examination of the Millard patient's body revealed three insect bites on her shoulder. The insect bites are believed to be fleabites. Plague is caused by bacteria, which are carried by fleas that feed on infected rodents. Human plague is rare, occurring most often during summer months when people are active outdoors and fleas are plentiful. Domestic pets, particularly house cats, may carry plague-infected fleas into homes where the infected fleas can then bite the human residents. Family members of the Millard patient noted that there had been an obvious lack of ground squirrels on their property this year. The patient's mother also mentioned the presence of many dead rodents. The absence of squirrels together with the rodent deaths may be associated with the plague infection. Recently, in Garfield County, the Southwest Utah Health Department was made aware of large numbers of dead and sick rodents. It is suspected that these rodents died of plague, but laboratory tests confirming the suspicion have not yet been completed. "We all need to be aware of what a public health risk rodents are. Unfortunately, these rodents are plentiful in rural Utah," Resendes warned. Initial signs and symptoms of plague in humans may be nonspecific with fever, chills, malaise, nausea, sore throat and headache. Commonly, the swelling of lymph glands closest to the fleabite occurs. There are precautionary measures one can take to lessen the chances of plague infection in places where rodents are known to be present. These include wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants, tucking pant legs into socks, when camping or hiking. Avoid flea-infested areas during summer months. Use insect repellents containing DEET on your skin. Provide pets weekly flea treatments with flea powder. Resendes asks residents to be aware of unusual pet, rodent and ground
squirrel deaths and to report such to the Health Department immediately.
Additionally, he warns that interaction with rodents, alive or dead,
should be avoided when possible. |
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