Person dies from bubonic plague in northern Arizona

A person in northern Arizona has died from a case of bubonic plague, local health officials said.

The individual, who was not identified, was treated at Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department and died there the same day despite life-saving attempts, according to a statement from Northern Arizona Healthcare.

Rapid diagnostic testing by the Arizona Department of Health Services found that the patient had Yersinia pestis, which is the bacteria that causes the plague, according to Northern Arizona Healthcare.

The plague is historically associated with the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was rampant and led to one of the deadliest outbreaks in the continent's history. It's sometimes referred to as "The Black Death."

Cases of bubonic plague are extremely rare in the U.S. with an avera