Oregon resident caught the bubonic plague from their cat, local officials say

Local officials said the cat, a different animal from the one pictured here, was displaying symptoms of the disease. Photograph: Christopher/Rex Shutterstock

A pet owner in Oregon has caught the bubonic plague from their cat in a rare example of the potentially deadly illness surfacing in the United States, local authorities have said.

The plague was responsible for the Black Death in medieval Europe and elsewhere which killed millions of people and devastated the continent. In modern times it has become much rarer.