2 being treated for The Plague in New York

[Skins24]

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_110602_nycplague.html

NYC Medical Scare: Two Being Treated At Area Hospital For Bubonic Plague

{New York-WABC, November 6, 2002) — Two patients at a New York City hospital have been diagnosed with a dangerous disease not seen in this region in decades. Eyewitness News has learned that doctors at Beth Israel Medical Center are caring for the two people who have the Bubonic plague. Jim Dolan reports from Beth Israel with more.

Learn More About The Bubonic Plague, Including Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatments. Watch Dr. Jay's Explanation of the Plague

The Bubonic plague claimed millions of lives in Europe and Asia in the Middle Ages. Now sources confirm for Eyewitness News the probable presence of the plague in two patients here in New York. The pair is a married couple from New Mexico who were in the city on vacation.

Doctors tell Eyewitness News that a microbiology test confirmed their fears that the couple was indeed suffering from the Bubonic plague. The couple has been isolated to prevent the further spread of the disease.

Doctors say while the female patient is out of danger, her husband is in extremely critical condition. They say he was admitted with a fever of 105 degrees. High fever is one of the symptoms of the Bubonic plague.

The couple is from a rural area of New Mexico. Just days ago, while visiting New York City, they called a doctor complaining of flu-like symptoms. But even over the phone, the doctor thought it was more than that.

Dr. Ronald Primas, Beth Israel Medical Center: "He actually was very sick. He had a fever of 105 degrees. He was just sweating profusely and extremely weak."

The doctor rushed the couple to Beth Israel Ttuesday night. As a precaution, they were placed in isolation.

The symptoms for Bubonic Plague include:

High Fever

Swollen Lymph Nodes, Usually In The Groin

A Purple Hue To Those Nodes

Sweating and confusion ensues as the fever grows worse.

The 53-year-old man and his 47-year-old wife are from Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is one of the few places in the nation where the plague occurs with some regularity.

The city and state health department were joined by the Centers for Disease Control in their investigation into how the couple contracted the disease. The state health department in Sante Fe, New Mexico, where the couple lives, tested rodents on their property this summer. Apparently many of those rodents tested positive for the Bubonic plague. When the symptoms appeared, they were here in New York on vacation.

Doctors say they believe the couple was infected in their home state after sleeping in a sleeping bags that had been outdoors on their property for several weeks. Those sleeping bags are now being tested.

Officials say there are 20 to 30 cases of Bubonic plague worldwide each year. If caught early, the disease is very treatable, but it is often mistaken for a cold. If treatment is delayed, the plague can, of course, be fatal.

[Awgustlab]

Yeah, I heard about this as well. Seeing as I live in New Mexico, it is strange to hear about this. Wierd, I guess I gotta stay away from rats and rodents.

[Brave]

Weird, I guess I gotta stay away from rats and rodents.

Don't sound so disappointed, Awgustlab. That going to cut into some "weird" kind of fun you have out there?

[redman]

There's a NYC joke in here somewhere . . . :laugh: