30/11/2014

CDCMaps&StatisticsPlague

MapsandStatistics
PlagueintheUnitedStates
PlaguewasfirstintroducedintotheUnitedStatesin1900,byratinfestedsteamshipsthathad
sailedfromaffectedareas,mostlyfromAsia.Epidemicsoccurredintheseportcities.Thelast
urbanplagueepidemicintheUnitedStatesoccurredinLosAngelesfrom1924through1925.
Plaguethenspreadfromurbanratstoruralrodentspecies,andbecameentrenchedinmanyareas
ofthewesternUnitedStates.Sincethattime,plaguehasoccurredasscatteredcasesinrural
areas.MosthumancasesintheUnitedStatesoccurintworegions:
NorthernNewMexico,northernArizona,andsouthernColorado
California,southernOregon,andfarwesternNevada

PlaguecasesintheUnitedStates,19702012.

Between1900and2010,999confirmedorprobablehumanplaguecasesoccurredintheUnited
States.Over80%ofUnitedStatesplaguecaseshavebeenthebubonicform.
(/plague/symptoms/index.html)Inrecentdecades,anaverageofsevenhumanplaguecaseshave
beenreportedeachyear(range:117casesperyear).Plaguehasoccurredinpeopleofallages
http://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html

1/3

30/11/2014

CDCMaps&StatisticsPlague

(infantsuptoage96),though50%ofcasesoccurinpeopleages1245.Itoccursinbothmenand
women,thoughhistoricallyisslightlymorecommonamongmen,probablybecauseofincreased
outdooractivitiesthatputthemathigherrisk.

PlaguecasesintheUnitedStates,19702012.Sincethemid20thcentury,plagueintheUnitedStateshastypicallyoccurredintheruralWest.

PlagueWorldwide
PlagueepidemicshaveoccurredinAfrica,Asia,andSouthAmericabutmosthumancasessince
the1990shaveoccurredinAfrica.Almostallofthecasesreportedinthelast20yearshave
occurredamongpeoplelivinginsmalltownsandvillagesoragriculturalareasratherthanin
largertownsandcities.Between1,000and2,000caseseachyeararereportedtotheWorld
HealthOrganization(http://www.who.int/ith/diseases/plague/en/)
(http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)(WHO),thoughthetruenumberislikelymuchhigher.
Itishardtoassessthemortalityrateofplagueindevelopingcountries,asrelativelyfewcasesare
reliablydiagnosedandreportedtohealthauthorities.WHOcitesmortalityratesof810%,
howeversomestudies(WHO,2004)suggestthatmortalitymaybemuchhigherinsomeplague
endemicareas.

http://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html

2/3

30/11/2014

CDCMaps&StatisticsPlague

Distributionofplaguecases,worldwide.DatafromWHO.

Pagelastreviewed:April23,2013
Pagelastupdated:April23,2013
Contentsource:CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention
NationalCenterforEmergingandZoonoticInfectiousDiseases(NCEZID)
DivisionofVectorBorneDiseases(DVBD)

CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention1600CliftonRoadAtlanta,GA30329
4027,USA
800CDCINFO(8002324636)TTY:(888)2326348ContactCDCINFO

http://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html

3/3