Arizona Reports First Plague Death Since 2007

A Coconino County resident in northern Arizona has died from pneumonic plague, with lab tests confirming Yersinia pestis infection, marking the first such death in the county since 2007. The patient was treated at Flagstaff Medical Center but died on the same day. Officials state that this case is not connected to the recent prairie dog die-off in the Townsend-Winona area, though such die-offs can indicate plague presence. Plague remains rare in the U.S., with an average of seven cases annually and human-to-human transmission being extremely uncommon. Health authorities are conducting contact tracing and urge the public to avoid contact with wild animals, use flea prevention for pets, and report unusual rodent deaths. The overall risk to the community remains low, but vigilance is advised.