A young Arizona man who died of pneumonic plague in July 2025 had work-related contact with two sick indoor cats shortly before he became ill, according to a CDC case report published October 1, 2026. Both cats had respiratory symptoms, and he was exposed to them five and four days before his illness began. The authors wrote that "inhalation transmission from either cat was possible with the patient's occupational exposure."
The report, written by investigators from the CDC, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and Coconino County, describes Arizona's first pneumonic plague death since 2007. The man died less than eight hours after he was admitted to the hospital.
