On Jul. 9, 2024, officials at the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE), in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, confirmed a human case of plague in a Pueblo County resident.

PDPHE continued to investigate a potential source and asked the public to take the precautions. The plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) is transmitted by fleas and cycles naturally among wild rodents. Plague occurs naturally and can infect humans and their pets.