Cat In Grand County Tests Positive For The Plague

GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The state health department has confirmed that a cat in Grand County has tested positive for the plague.

State Public Health Veterinarian Jennifer House says three cats in Colorado have tested positive for the plague so far this year.

The plague can be transmitted to people through a flea bite and direct contact with infected animals. Typical symptoms include sudden onset of fever and chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and a general feeling of systemic illness.

One person has died from the plague in 2015. Taylor Gaes of Larimer County died June 8 after coming down with what he thought was a bad case of the flu, but tests confirmed it was a rare form of the plague.

LINK: Plague Fact Sheet