Primary plague pneumonia contracted from a domestic cat at South Lake Tahoe, Calif

S. B. Werner, C. E. Weidmer, B. C. Nelson, G. S. Nygaard, R. M. Goethals and J. D. Poland

Primary plague pneumonia occurred in a 47-year-old South Lake Tahoe woman shortly after face-to-face exposure to her plague pneumonia-infected cat. Both died. Field investigation revealed a recent plague epizootic in squirrels and chipmunks around the patient's home. Control measures included active surveillance and chemoprophylaxis of 197 contacts to the victim, a community alert on methods of self- and pet protection, and application of insecticide to reduce rodent flea populations. No secondary cases occurred.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Impact of Resistance Selection and Mutant Growth Fitness on the Relative Efficacies of Streptomycin and Levofloxacin for Plague Therapy
Louie et al.
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2007;51:2661-2667.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Delayed Inflammatory Response to Primary Pneumonic Plague Occurs in Both Outbred and Inbred Mice
Bubeck et al.
Infect. Immun. 2007;75:697-705.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

From The Cover: Progression of primary pneumonic plague: A mouse model of infection, pathology, and bacterial transcriptional activity
Lathem et al.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2005;102:17786-17791.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Radiologic Manifestations of Potential Bioterrorist Agents of Infection
Ketai et al.
Am. J. Roentgenol. 2003;180:565-575.
FULL TEXT  

Chemical and biological weapons. Implications for anaesthesia and intensive care{dagger}
White
Br J Anaesth 2002;89:306-324.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Histopathology of Experimental Plague in Cats
Watson et al.
Vet Pathol 2001;38:165-172.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Plague as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management
Inglesby et al.
JAMA 2000;283:2281-2290.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT