(VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M.) — A New Mexico man has been diagnosed with plague, marking the state’s first human case this year, according to local health officials.
The patient, a 43-year-old man from Valencia County — located just southwest of Albuquerque — was hospitalized with the condition but has since been discharged, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) said on Monday.
Recently, the patient had been camping in Rio Arriba County, which borders Colorado, where health officials believe he may have been exposed.
No other identifying information about the man was available, including his name or race/ethnicity.
“This case reminds us of the severe threat that can be posed by this ancient disease,” Dr. Erin Phipps, state public health veterinarian for NMDOH, said in a press release.