First Deadly Case of Bubonic Plague in the U.S. in 2025

• Arizona investigates first deadly case of bubonic plague.
• Bubonic plague is rare, deadly if untreated.
• Human-to-human transmission is low.

Health authorities in Arizona are investigating a case of bubonic plague in which a resident has died, marking the first fatal human case in the United States this year.

Patrice Horstman, chair of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, confirmed the death but indicated that no further details will be released out of respect for the victim’s family.

Local authorities did not specify the exact location where the individual may have contracted the disease.

Human cases of plague are rare.

First Deadly Case of Bubonic Plague in Arizona

🔴 Arizona reports a death from bubonic plague, the disease that killed millions during the Middle Ages. https://t.co/b0QF4Q5RlK

— Noticias Telemundo (@TelemundoNews) July 11, 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that only a few cases are recorded annually in the country.

Bubonic plague, a serious disease, can be fatal if not treated promptly, according to the Efe news agency and Telemundo.

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The bacterium that causes plague can infect the lungs, leading to pneumonic plague, or enter the bloodstream.

Although the southwestern states of the U.S. account for the majority of cases due to the presence of rodents and fleas carrying the bacteria.

Bubonic Plague: Transmission and Risks in the U.S.

🚨 #BREAKING | There is no vaccine for this disease. Health authorities in Arizona are investigating a case of bubonic plague in which a resident died from the disease, marking the first fatal human case in the United States this year.

The… pic.twitter.com/psMq42dwj3

— Grupo Fórmula (@Radio_Formula) July 12, 2025

Health authorities in Coconino state that the risk of person-to-person transmission is very low.

The last documented case of human-to-human transmission in the U.S. occurred in 1924, according to available data.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the mortality rate in cases of bubonic plague can range between 30% and 60%, depending on factors such as the country and access to treatment.

Symptoms of the plague may appear between one and seven days after the incubation period.

Conclusion

They include sudden fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and swelling of the lymph nodes, known as buboes.

Bubonic plague, also called the Black Death, was responsible for the death of approximately 50 million people in Europe during the 14th century.

Although rare today, plague remains endemic in some countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru, where incidence is higher, according to the WHO.