A Lincoln County, New Mexico, man recently died of bubonic plague, the state’s first new case of the disease in a human being since 2021 and the first death since 2020.

The plague, known historically as the Black Death, is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis in fleas. They’re then spread primarily by rodents such as rats and squirrels to pets, other wildlife and people.

The New Mexico Department of Health didn’t identify the deceased, nor did it say when the man caught the plague and died.

“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the Lincoln County man who succumbed to plague. This tragic incident serves as a clear reminder of the threat posed by this ancient disease,” New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps said in a release from state health officials.

The last plague epidemic in the U.S. occurred in Los Angeles in 1924 and 1925. After that, urban rats spread the disease to rural rodents, especially in the West, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website.

Those infected develop fever, chills, weakness and swollen lymph nodes, also called buboes, from which the plague gets its name.

“Bubonic plague is a serious infectious illness alone, but can also develop quickly into more severe and deadly forms of plague. More serious forms include pneumonic and septicemic plague, which is where the bacteria invade the lungs and bloodstream,” Erica Susky, a Canadian infection control practitioner, told the New York Post.

The New Mexico Department of Health is reaching out to Lincoln County to determine the risk of new cases of the plague.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.