The Shadow Returns: Bubonic Plague in Modern Times – From Arizona Death to Pandemic Preparedness

Lab microscope image of Yersinia pestis bacteria from bubonic plague patient's swollen lymph node, the infectious agent behind historic Black Death pandemics

A chilling chapter from medieval history resurfaced in Arizona this week when a Coconino County resident succumbed to pneumonic plague—a direct descendant of the bacterium that caused the Black Death. This plague in Arizona 2025 marks the first fatality in the region since 2007, starkly reminding us that Yersinia pestis never vanished, merely retreated into nature’s shadows. While health officials … Read more