The plague doesn’t kill people every day, but it does kill a handful in the U.S. each year.
A person in northern Arizona has died after contracting pneumonic plague—a fast-moving lung infection that can spread through the air. While the disease is rare, it still surfaces in rural areas of the western U.S. each year. And without quick treatment, it’s often deadly. Here’s what experts want you to know about how it spreads, the warning signs, and how to protect yourself.