From what I've read you can kiss goodbye to half your population
Man diagnosed with bubonic plague in America's first case of the 'Black Death' this year
New Mexico has reported America's first human case of bubonic plague this year, the frightening disease once known as the Black Death.
Officials revealed an unidentified 58-year-old man is recovering after spending a week in hospital with the illness, which kills one in seven who catch it.
The man, from Santa Fe County, was treated and released, but officials would not say exactly where or when.
Carrier: New Mexico officials are checking the man's house for rats after he contracted the bubonic plague
He was admitted to hospital in April after complaining of high fever, swollen lymph nodes and severe plain in his lower stomach and groin.
Doctors sent a blood sample to a laboratory, which confirmed on Thursday the man had bubonic plague.
Department of Health Veterinarian told the Santa Fe New Mexican: 'He was probably bitten by a flea somewhere on his left leg.'
The bacterial disease is spread by rat-borne fleas which carry the plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis.
Deathly bite: The bubonic plague bacteria is spread by the oriental rat flea. Although it can be treated with antibiotics, one in seven cases are fatal
It is most commonly transmitted to humans by a bite from an infected flea, but they can also catch it by coming into contact with an animals with the disease, including cats and dogs.
Typically, around 10 to 15 people contract the plague in America each year.
Half of those cases occur in New Mexico, where there are large numbers of both rats and fleas, but it can also appear in western states including Arizona, California and Nevada.
The last reported fatal case was in 2009, when an eight-year-old boy died from in Santa Fe County.
Earlier this year New Mexico reported two dogs had caught the disease in Santa Fe County, as had cat in Rio Arriba County.
New Mexico's Department of Health Secretary, Dr Catherine Torres, said officials will now go through the man's home to check for dead rodents, to trap and test live rodents and to run flannel through burrows to collect fleas for testing.
In a statement, she said: 'We inform neighbours door-to-door about plague found in the area and educate them on reducing their risk.
'We determine whether individuals close to the patient may also have been exposed to the plague and recommend preventative treatment when necessary.'
They also advise people to avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, to stop their pets from roaming and hunting, and to keep pet food and water away from where mice could get at it.
More prevalent: Around half the cases of bubonic plague reported in America stem from New Mexico. The last fatal case was in 2009
Symptoms of the plague include chills, fever, headaches, weakness and swellings in the groin or armpits, known as bubos.
Bubonic plague earned the name the Black Death in the 1300s, when it killed 75million in an epidemic which swept through Europe.
Today the disease can be treated by antibiotics, but one in seven cases are still fatal.
Across the world, there are 1,000 to 3,000 cases of the disease each year.
'THE BLACK DEATH': WHAT IS THE BUBONIC PLAGUE?
The bubonic plague became known as the Black Death when it swept through Europe in the 14th century, killing 75million people.
Although it is now rare, there are still between 10 to 15 cases in the U.S. each year, half of which are in New Mexico.
It is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, carried by fleas.
Symptoms of bubonic plague appear suddenly, between two and five days after infection.
They include:
* Chills, malaise, high fever
* Muscle pain, severe headache, seizures
* Smooth, painful lymph gland swelling called a bubo.
* It is commonly found in the groin, but may occur in the armpits or neck, most often at the site of the initial infection (bite or scratch)
The disease can be cured if the patient is treated with antibiotics within 24 hours of infection.
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