Septicaemic plague kills US man in his 20s

An ancient and highly contagious disease has reared its ugly head over in the US, leading to one man’s death and many more in quarantine.

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August 9, 2020 - 4:08PM

Over in the US, a man in his twenties has died from a strain of the plague — the septicaemic plague.

It comes just a day after a man in Mongolia died from the infamous bubonic plague.

2020 seems to be the year of contagious diseases, with the ongoing coronavirus health crisis pandemic, as well as a case of bird flu on a Victorian farm , and also the bunyavirus in China .

Destroyed rats during the bubonic plague in Brisbane (1900-1902)

The septicaemic plague victim was from the US state of New Mexico.

He’s the second New Mexican citizen to be diagnosed with the disease in the last month.

The New Mexico Department of Health investigated the man’s home to try to find the source of his infection.

The man had been in contact with 35 other people, who have now all been put into quarantine.

Septicaemic plague is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted by direct contact with animals or through infected fleas.

Rats primarily carry the disease.

Health authorities suspect the man became infected after letting his household pet to roam and hunt outside.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), septicaemic plague can be treated promptly with antibiotics.

However, in this case, the man was treated too late.

Septicaemic plague is rapidly progressive, leading to overwhelming sepsis and organ failure within a few days.

Symptoms include the fever, chills, headache and general weakness.

There can also be a painful swelling of the lymph node in the groin, armpit or neck areas.

All strains of the plague are not prevalent in Australia, according to NSW Health.