Plague Data in New Mexico
Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis. People usually get plague from the bite of a rodent flea that is carrying plague bacteria or by handling an infected animal. Although plague is a rare disease, about half of U.S. cases each year occur in New Mexico. Today, modern antibiotics are effective against plague, but if an infected person is not treated promptly, the disease can be life-threatening.
For more information:
Plague Brochure 
Plague Fact Sheet (English) Plague Fact Sheet (Spanish)
Plague Information for New Mexico Physicians and Health Care Workers
Manual for Investigation and Control of Communicable Diseases in New Mexico, 2008: Plague Chapter
- There have been 260 cases of human plague in New Mexico since 1949 with 34 deaths
- Most New Mexico human plague cases have occurred in seven northern counties: Bernalillo, McKinley, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Taos
A plague positive rock squirrel has been collected in the City of Santa Fe. People who live in areas where plague may be present are advised to avoid sick or dead wild animals, as well as their fleas and burrows.
The fourth human plague case in New Mexico this year has been confirmed in an 83 year old woman from Sandoval County who is now home recovering. A plague infected rock squirrel was collected from the east side of the City of Santa Fe, and a dog from Santa Fe County was treated for confirmed plague and has recovered. See press release of 06/17/2009.
A third human case of plague has been confirmed in a resident of Santa Fe County who survived the illness. Plague was also confirmed in a cat from the same county, which recovered with antibiotic treatment. See press release of 06/10/2009.
The New Mexico Department of Health has confirmed the first two human plague cases in the nation this year, in siblings from Santa Fe County. One patient survived the illness and the other case was fatal. See press release of 06/04/2009 for more information.
A dog from Taos County that became ill in late April has been confirmed with plague. The dog was treated with antibiotics and has recovered. This was the first confirmed veterinary case of plague in Taos County this year.
A cat from Rio Arriba County has been confirmed with plague. The cat became ill in late April and recovered after antibiotic treatment. This was the second veterinary plague case in Rio Arriba County in 2009.
A dog from the Sunlit Hills area of Santa Fe County has been confirmed with plague. The dog became ill in late March and recovered after antibiotic treatment.
A rabbit found dead near a home in Santa Fe on April 1st has been confirmed with plague. This was the first plague positive wild animal detected in New Mexico this year. This case serves as a reminder to avoid approaching or touching sick or dead wildlife which may carry infected fleas. Preventing pets from hunting, and using a flea control product on pets can also reduce the risk of transmission of plague to humans. See press release of 04/03/2009.
A dog from Rio Arriba County has been confirmed with plague. The animal became ill in mid-January and recovered after antibiotic treatment. This was the first veterinary case of plague this year.
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Eisen RJ, Enscore RE, Biggerstaff BJ, et al. Human plague in the Southwestern United States, 1957-2004: spatial models of elevated risk of human exposure to Yersinia pestis. J Med Entomol. 2007;44:530-537.
Gage KL, Dennis DT, Orloski KA, et al.
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