In Santa Fe, New Mexico, a boy, 8, has died of bubonic plague. His sister, 10, is hospitalized with bubonic plague. They are the first victims of bubonic plague in US in 2009.

The bubonic plague is transmitted through bites of fleas infected with the disease. Bubonic plague can also be transmitted by contact with animals infected with the disease. Animals that may have bubonic plague and are carriers of the disease include rodents, rabbits and domestic pets.

The bubonic plague gives symptoms like fever, chills, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea. The patient may have swollen lymph nodes in the arm pit, neck, and groin. Another form of the plague is the pneumonic plague. This is a lung infection. The symptoms of pneumonic plague are bad cough, breathing difficulties and blood in sputum.

Treatment for the bubonic plague is by using antibiotics. The statistics for bubonic plague in the US is 10 – 15 patients per year.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 8:03 pm and is filed under Gossip.