An Arizona resident has died from the plague as officials were probing whether a prairie dog die-off in the area was also tied to the lethal illness.

ARIZONA — Health officials have reported the first plague death since 2007, according to CBS News and the AP. Plague is generally rare in humans, as an average of seven cases are reported annually in the United States. The person who most recently died had the pneumonic plague and lived in Coconino County, Arizona.

The Arizona Public Health Association is advising the public that there is no need to worry about the plague, despite one person in Flagstaff dying from the disease.

Coconino County has confirmed its first human death from the plague in nearly two decades. Health officials say a Coconino County resident has died from pneumonic plague — a rare but serious lung infection.

A study of the genetic basis of plague immunity in prairie dogs has broad implications for conservation. From white-nose syndrome in bats to avian malaria in Hawaiian birds, introduced pathogens are a major cause of population declines in native species.

FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) officials received confirmatory test results July 11, 2025, and have confirmed that a Coconino County resident has died from pneumonic plague,