Overview

• The patient, a 43-year-old man from Valencia County, was hospitalized for plague and has been discharged, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
• Investigators say exposure likely occurred during a recent camping trip in Rio Arriba County, where plague circulates among wild rodents.
• The report follows recent western U.S. detections, including a Lake Tahoe camper in California and a July fatality in Arizona.
• Plague is endemic in parts of the West and most often spreads through bites from infected fleas or contact with infected animals, the CDC says.
• Officials urge using insect repellent outdoors, keeping pets on veterinarian-recommended flea control, and avoiding sick or dead rodents and rabbits.