Coconino County has confirmed its first human death from the plague in nearly two decades.
Health officials say a Coconino County resident has died from pneumonic plague — a rare but serious lung infection.
It’s the first confirmed pneumonic plague death in the county since 2007, when an individual contracted the disease after interacting with an infected dead animal.
Health officials say this case is not connected to a mass prairie dog die-off reported northeast of Flagstaff.
According to a county spokesperson, the disease is believed to have been transmitted through inhalation of the bacteria that causes the plague.
Human-to-human transmission of the bacteria is extremely rare, and officials say the risk to the public remains low.
More Public health news
-
Will Humble joined The Show to talk about recent changes to vaccine guidance and what might be on the horizon. -
The FDA plans to add a “black-box warning” to COVID-19 vaccines — that’s the strongest warning the agency can issue. But Will Humble, the Arizona Public Health Association president, says the move isn’t as alarming as it sounds. -
Dueling Republican and Democratic bills to combat rising health care costs on the Affordable Care Act marketplace failed to move out of the Senate as Americans in Arizona and other states face drastic premium increases. -
A Republican state lawmaker is calling for Arizona to roll back guidance for hepatitis B vaccines, following controversial changes at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. -
The Arizona Department of Health Services has reported more than 900 cases of whooping cough throughout 2025 — the highest case count in the state in 12 years.
