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SANTA FE 鈥� A Santa Fe County woman has died of plague in the first human case of the disease in New Mexico this year, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.

The health department reported the death on Thursday and said it would be conducting an environmental analysis 鈥渢o determine ongoing risk.鈥� The agency is confirming that no other close contacts of the woman are exhibiting symptoms of the disease,

While rare among humans, about half of the roughly seven plague infections among Americans each year occur in New Mexico. The state recorded three human plague cases in 2025 and one in 2024, which was fatal, according to the health department.

The bacterial disease is carried by rodents, such as mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits and prairie dogs. But plague is most often transmitted to humans from the bites of infected fleas, which can be carried into homes by household pets. It can also be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, according to the health department.

Health officials recommend avoiding rodent nests and burrows, cleaning up areas near homes where rodents might live, using insect repellent while outdoors, talking to a veterinarian about using a flea control product on pets and having pets with fleas examined by a professional.

Symptoms of plague infection include a sudden onset of fever, chills, headache and weakness. Lymph nodes in the groin, armpit or neck may also swell. The disease can also be transmitted among humans through coughing.

Prompt diagnosis and the administration of antibiotics can be highly effective in treating human plague cases. The drugs gentamicin and fluoroquinolones 鈥� a type of broad-spectrum antibiotic 鈥� are considered first-line treatments in the U.S., usually administered in a hospital setting over 10-14 days.

In the mid-14th century, about 500 years before antibiotics were invented, a widespread plague epidemic known as Black Death occurred in Europe, killing an estimated 25 million people, or roughly a third of the continental population, according to

鈥淲e extend our heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of the woman who passed away due to plague,鈥� said Erin Phipps, state public health veterinarian for NMDOH. 鈥淭his tragedy emphasizes the need for heightened community awareness and for taking measures to prevent plague infections.鈥�

John Miller is the sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.