Even though it is uncommon, the illness is still a problem in some US states.

The bubonic plague, commonly referred to as “the black death” for suitably dire reasons, has devastated civilizations and caused immense suffering in the past centuries. If, in the unlikely event that you find yourself yearning for these times, you’re in luck: the plague has returned to Oregon.

According to the Associated Press, health officials have revealed that an adult male in the central part of the state has contracted the plague; the illness was most likely spread by the man’s domesticated pet cat. The man received treatment, as did anyone who was thought to have interacted with him. Regretfully, the cat did not make it.

Yersinia pestis, a bacteria that lives in fleas and rodents, is the cause of plague. When it infects lymph nodes and produces fever and headaches, it is regarded as bubonic. Because nodes in the groin can swell, the term “bubonic” is derived from the Greek word “boubon.” If left untreated, it can enter the bloodstream and cause more serious symptoms like abdominal pain and blackened toes. Pneumonic plague is the term for an infection that affects the lungs.

With only a few cases reported in the US annually, human plagues are regarded as incredibly rare. This was the first case in Oregon since 2015. Every year, 200 to 700 cases are reported worldwide.) Since antibiotics are typically effective in treating it, most people who get it early on survive.

Things were much worse before the discovery of antibiotics. Approximately 20 million people, or one-third of Europe’s population, perished in the 14th century due to the “black death.” The disease can also be spread by respiratory droplets that are infectious, and it was found that rats and fleas that accompanied them on ships could spread the disease.

People were eager to try anything to cure the plague before medicine advanced. Sir Isaac Newton suggested a regimen consisting of ground up road corpse and toad vomit, which he helpfully suggested to form into a lozenge. In order to combat the “bad air” that was believed to carry the plague and other illnesses, another method was to fart into a jar, seal it, and then inhale your own flatulence.

Quarantine worked, as demonstrated by the English village of Eyam in the seventeenth century. When the plague struck, the locals were told to stop traveling, reduce trade, and bury their dead as soon as possible. More spread in the area was probably stopped by the actions.

Could you get a 14th-century disease from your cat? Though unlikely given the Oregon man’s misfortune, you should be aware of areas where the plague is still active. In rural Western regions, such as portions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Colorado, that occurs most frequently.

Because they like rodents, which are carriers of the disease through fleas, cats are effective carriers of the disease. They can also spread the infection by consuming rats, squirrels, or prairie dogs that are infected. Sometimes the plague is discovered too late to treat cats because it presents with vague symptoms like fever or appetite loss. Humans can subsequently become infected by fleas or cat respiratory droplets.

If you become ill after being exposed to rodents or fleas, you should seek medical attention right away and take antibiotics; farts and toad puke are not recommended.