Navajo confirms
Fort Defiance plague case

FORT DEFIANCE (AP) — Health officials on the Navajo Nation have issued a plague warning for residents on the reservation.

The Navajo Area Indian Health Service confirmed Friday that a Fort Defiance resident tested positive for plague. Officials said the patient is being treated and is doing fine.

Floyd Thompson, executive officer for the Navajo area IHS, said the positive diagnosis probably is not an isolated case.
Thompson said health officials are making efforts to alert surrounding communities and doing epidemiology work to identify the source.

Plague is caused by bacteria from infected rodents and is spread by fleas that have come in contact with the rodents. Thompson said outbreaks of plague typically occur during the warm months when animals are more active.