Table of Contents
Published: July 17, 2025
Read Time: 1.7 Mins
Total Views: 265
Is the Plague Back? First U.S. Death in Years Raises Questions About Ancient Disease
In this episode of Thermometer HQ, Inside Outbreaks, Dr. Jay Varma and Dr. Jon Epstein take a deep dive into one of the oldest known infectious diseases: the plague. A recent death in Arizona from pneumonic plague—the first recorded in Coconino County since 2007—has raised alarms and sparked questions about whether the plague is truly “back” or if it ever really left.
Dr. Varma and Dr. Epstein break down:
- What the plague actually is, including the differences between bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic forms.
- Where plague still lives today, including in animals like prairie dogs, rats, and especially cats, who can transmit it to humans.
- Why the Arizona case is a reminder that rural areas in the U.S.—particularly in the West—still face occasional outbreaks.
- How cats and other pets can serve as unexpected intermediaries for human transmission.
- Why pneumonic plague is especially dangerous, with its potential for person-to-person transmission via respiratory droplets.
- What public health systems do (or used to do) to prevent this from becoming a widespread threat—and how weakening these systems could make us more vulnerable.
They also explore plague’s historical legacy, from the Black Death to its use in biological warfare, and discuss how modern medicine (especially antibiotics) has prevented widespread devastation. But they warn: complacency is dangerous. With weakening public health infrastructure and environmental disruption, ancient diseases like plague could re-emerge in new ways.
Key takeaway: The plague isn’t “back”—it never left. But with the right precautions—like flea control for pets, avoiding contact with wild animals, and timely medical care—it remains a manageable threat.
