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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 51393, member: 636"] Arizona health authorities confirmed Friday that a local resident succumbed to pneumonic plague after contracting the deadly bacterial infection. The fatality marks the first plague death recorded in Coconino County since 2007 when another victim had encountered an infected dead animal. Officials from Coconino County Health and Human Services released the grim announcement while assuring residents that public exposure risks remain minimal. The same disease once devastated medieval Europe as the Black Death and wiped out nearly half the continent's population during the 14th century. Modern medicine can effectively combat plague infections using antibiotic treatments when caught early. American health agencies typically document around seven human plague cases annually according to Centers for Disease Control statistics. Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman extended heartfelt sympathies to the victim's loved ones while declining to share additional details about the death. The Yersinia pestis bacterium triggers pneumonic plague by causing severe lung infections that prove fatal without proper medical intervention. Bubonic plague represents the most widespread form and spreads through infected flea bites while pneumonic plague attacks the respiratory system after progressing from other untreated varieties. Patients usually develop symptoms between two and eight days following exposure including fever, chills, headaches, weakness and enlarged lymph nodes. Health experts recommend using DEET insect repellents to ward off disease-carrying fleas and avoiding contact with dead animals or contaminated materials. People should also maintain distance from symptomatic patients and crowded locations where recent cases have surfaced. [/QUOTE]

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