A Michigan resident is recovering from bubonic plague after taking a trip to Colorado, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported.
This is Michigan's first plague diagnosis ever and the 14th case of plague in the U.S. this year. According to the CDC, the number of plague cases in the U.S. each year from 2001 to 2012 has ranged from one to 17, with three as the median number of cases.
In August, the CDC said it is "unclear why the number of cases in 2015 is higher than usual."
Federal and state officials have urged healthcare providers to consider a plague diagnosis if a patient has compatible signs or symptoms, has recently traveled to the western U.S. and has been in proximity to rodent habitats or in direct contact with rodents or sick pets.