SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - State health officials report a case of plague in a dog from Santa Fe County, making it the first diagnosed case of plague in New Mexico this year.
The Department of Health says it’s checking the home of the dog’s owner for risks to others and sending personnel around the neighborhood to inform residents and provide information on reducing risks.
Plague is a bacterial disease of wildlife and is generally transmitted to humans and pets through the bites of infected fleas. Pet animals also can be exposed after eating an infected animal. Plague can be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and pets.
The department says New Mexico had four human cases of plague in 2017 and that those people all survived the illness.
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