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Prevalence and Incidence of Plague
About prevalence and incidence statistics: The term 'prevalence' of Plague usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Plague at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Plague refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Plague diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
Incidence (annual) of Plague: 9 annual cases of plague notified in USA 1999 (MMWR 1999)
Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 30,222,221 or 0.00% or 9 people in USA [about data]
Incidence extrapolations for USA for Plague: 9 per year, 0 per month, 0 per week, 0 per day, 0 per hour, 0 per minute, 0 per second.
Prevalance of Plague: In the U.S., 1 to 40 cases reported annually (avg = 13 cases) by western states, 1971-1995
Worldwide, 2861 cases reported by 10 countries to WHO in 1995
SEQUELAE
Rare, consequences of disseminated intravascular coagulation, lung damage
Mortality 50-90% if untreated; 15% when diagnosed and treated
COSTS
Not known
TRANSMISSION
Flea-borne, from infected rodents to humans
Direct contact with infected tissues or fluids from handling sick or dead animals
Respiratory droplets from cats and humans with pneumonic plague
RESERVOIRS
Primarily wild rodents in U.S. (especially rock squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, other burrowing rodents)
Commensal rats may be important elsewhere
RISK GROUPS
In the U.S., persons exposed to rodent fleas, wild rodents, or other susceptible animals in enzootic areas of western states
Most cases occur in southwestern states of NM, AZ, CO, and in CA
Highest rates in Native Americans, especially Navajos; other risk groups: hunters; veterinarians and pet owners handling infected cats; campers or hikers entering areas with outbreaks of animal plague
SURVEILLANCE
National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) for animal plague surveillance, for reports of human cases, and laboratory testing of fleas, animal tissues and serum specimens, and serosurveys of carnivores
CDC, Fort Collins, is a WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Plague Control, and reports all human plague cases in the U.S. to WHO
OPPORTUNITIES
Increased self-sufficiency of state and county public health labs
Expanded active surveillance through carnivore serosurveys and application of geographic information systems (GIS) to surveillance programs
Increased education of public and health professionals
Collaborative applied research on plague prevention and control with other federal, state, and local health agencies, including application of GIS to surveillance
RESEARCH
Ecology-based prevention and control strategies
Improved diagnostic reagents and methods
Development of potential vaccine candidates
Risk factor identification using landscape ecology and epidemiology
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This page last reviewed June 22, 2001
| Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases |
| National Center for Infectious Diseases |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
P.1 ... Annually, 140 cases of plague were reported (average 13 cases) by western states in 19711995.2
Worldwide prevalence of Plague:Globally, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year.3
Prevelance of Plague discussion: In the United States, the last urban plague epidemic occurred in Los Angeles in 1924-25. Since then, human plague in the United States has occurred as mostly scattered cases in rural areas (an average of 10 to 15 persons each year). Globally, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year. In North America, plague is found in certain animals and their fleas from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, and from southwestern Canada to Mexico. Most human cases in the United States occur in two regions: 1) northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado; and 2) California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada. Plague also exists in Africa, Asia, and South America (see map). 3
Incidence statistics about Plague: The following statistics relate to the incidence of Plague:
0 new cases of plague per 100,000 population was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
0 new cases of plague was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
10 registered cases in Peru 2001 (Regional Core Health Data Initiative, Pan American Health Organisation, 2003)
2 registered cases in the US 2001 (Regional Core Health Data Initiative, Pan American Health Organisation, 2003)
2 registered cases in Brazil 2000 (Regional Core Health Data Initiative, Pan American Health Organisation, 2003) |
