A man in New Mexico became the first American in years to die from the plague last week, health officials announced. The unnamed patient was from Lincoln County, just south of Albuquerque, but no other details have been released about him – including his age or health status. The New Mexico Department of Health said it was carrying out track and trace methods to see if anyone else had been infected. He is the first person in America to die from the plague – a disease that wiped out half of Europe’s population in the 14th century – since 2020.

The majority of plague cases in the US since 1970 have taken place in the Four Corners area, which includes New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. It’s unclear how the man caught the disease, though it is typically spread to humans through bites from fleas or rodents, as well as exposure to other dead animals. The case comes one month after an unidentified resident in Oregon was sickened by the plague, which officials believe they contracted from their cat. Once a great killer, the bubonic plague now infects fewer than 10 Americans a year, according to the CDC. However, the disease has become extremely rare thanks to improved hygiene and innovations of modern medicine like antibiotics. Most occur in the Four Corners area of the US – New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona – because the area has a high concentration of rodents due to its favorable climate, experts say.

In bubonic plague, the most common type, the infection spreads to immune glands called lymph nodes, causing them to become swollen and painful. These may progress to open sores. Symptoms usually develop within two to eight days and include fever, headache, chills, and weakness. The CDC estimates that 80 percent of plague cases in the US are bubonic plague. The plague is a potentially serious bacterial infection that can be deadly if not treated promptly with antibiotics. It is important to seek medical care if you live in or have recently traveled to an area where the plague is known to occur.