Maps and Statistics

Plague in the United States

Plague was first introduced into the United States in 1900, by rat–infested steamships that had sailed from affected areas, mostly from Asia. Epidemics occurred in port cities. The last urban plague epidemic in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 through 1925. Plague then spread from urban rats to rural rodent species, and became entrenched in many areas of the western United States. Since that time, plague has occurred as scattered cases in rural areas. Most human cases in the United States occur in two regions:

  • Northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado
  • California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada

Over 80% of United States plague cases have been the bubonic form. In recent decades, an average of seven human plague cases have been reported each year (range: 1–17 cases per year). Plague has occurred in people of all ages (infants up to age 96), though 50% of cases occur in people ages 12–45. It occurs in both men and women, though historically is slightly more common among men, probably because of increased outdoor activities that put them at higher risk.

Reported Cases of Human Plague - United States, 1970-2020

Human plague cases in the US, 1970-2020. All cases of human plague occur in the western US, with most cases in northern New Mexico and Arizona.

Since the mid–20th century, plague in the United States has typically occurred in the rural West. The case shown in Illinois was lab-associated.

Table of Reported Cases – U.S. 1970-2020

State of Residence

State of Residence

Reported Cases, 1970-2020

Reported Cases, 1970-2020

Alabama

Alabama

0

0

Alaska

Alaska

0

0

Arizona

Arizona

65

65

Arkansas

Arkansas

0

0

California

California

45

45

Colorado

Colorado

66

66

Connecticut

Connecticut

1

1

Delaware

Delaware

0

0

District of Columbia

District of Columbia

0

0

Florida

Florida

0

0

Georgia

Georgia

1

1

Hawaii

Hawaii

0

0

Idaho

Idaho

4

4

Illinois

Illinois

1

1

Indiana

Indiana

0

0

Iowa

Iowa

0

0

Kansas

Kansas

0

0

Kentucky

Kentucky

0

0

Louisiana

Louisiana

0

0

Maine

Maine

0

0

Maryland

Maryland

1

1

Massachusetts

Massachusetts

0

0

Michigan

Michigan

1

1

Minnesota

Minnesota

0

0

Mississippi

Mississippi

0

0

Missouri

Missouri

0

0

Montana

Montana

1

1

Nebraska

Nebraska

0

0

Nevada

Nevada

7

7

New Hampshire

New Hampshire

0

0

New Jersey

New Jersey

0

0

New Mexico

New Mexico

253

253

New York

New York

0

0

North Carolina

North Carolina

0

0

North Dakota

North Dakota

0

0

Ohio

Ohio

0

0

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

3

3

Oregon

Oregon

19

19

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

0

0

Rhode Island

Rhode Island

0

0

South Carolina

South Carolina

0

0

South Dakota

South Dakota

0

0

Tennessee

Tennessee

0

0

Texas

Texas

9

9

Utah

Utah

15

15

Vermont

Vermont

0

0

Virginia

Virginia

0

0

Washington

Washington

1

1

West Virginia

West Virginia

0

0

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

0

0

Wyoming

Wyoming

3

3

Total

Total

496

496

State of Residence
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Total
Reported Cases, 1970-2020
0
0
65
0
45
66
1
0
0
0
1
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
7
0
0
253
0
0
0
0
3
19
0
0
0
0
0
9
15
0
0
1
0
0
3
496

Human Plague Cases and Deaths - United States, 2000-2020

Graph showing human plague cases and deaths in the United States, 2000 to 2019.  There were 6 cases in 2000, 2 in 2001, 2 in 2002, 1 in 2003, 3 in 2004 with 1 death, 17 in 2006 with 2 deaths, 7 in 2007 with 2 deaths, 3 in 2008, 8 in 2009 with 2 deaths, 2 in 2010, 3 in 2011, 4 in 2012, 4 in 2013 with 1 death, 10 in 2014, 16 with 4 deaths in 2015, 4 cases in 2016, and 5 cases in 2017.

In recent decades, an average of seven human plague cases have been reported each year (range: 1–17 cases per year).

Year

Year

Year

Total cases

Total cases

Total cases

Deaths

Deaths

Deaths

2000

Year

2000

6

Total cases

6

0

Deaths

0

2001

Year

2001

2

Total cases

2

0

Deaths

0

2002

Year

2002

2

Total cases

2

0

Deaths

0

2003

Year

2003

1

Total cases

1

0

Deaths

0

2004

Year

2004

3

Total cases

3

1

Deaths

1

2005

Year

2005

8

Total cases

8

0

Deaths

0

2006

Year

2006

17

Total cases

17

2

Deaths

2

2007

Year

2007

7

Total cases

7

2

Deaths

2

2008

Year

2008

3

Total cases

3

0

Deaths

0

2009

Year

2009

8

Total cases

8

2

Deaths

2

2010

Year

2010

2

Total cases

2

0

Deaths

0

2011

Year

2011

3

Total cases

3

0

Deaths

0

2012

Year

2012

4

Total cases

4

0

Deaths

0

2013

Year

2013

4

Total cases

4

1

Deaths

1

2014

Year

2014

10

Total cases

10

0

Deaths

0

2015

Year

2015

16

Total cases

16

4

Deaths

4

2016

Year

2016

4

Total cases

4

0

Deaths

0

2017

Year

2017

5

Total cases

5

0

Deaths

0

2018

Year

2018

1

Total cases

1

0

Deaths

0

2019

Year

2019

1

Total cases

1

0

Deaths

0

2020

Year

2020

9

Total cases

9

2

Deaths

2


Number of Reported Confirmed and Probable Plague Cases per Year in the United States: 1900-2012

Human plague cases and deaths in the United States, 2000 to 2014

Between 1900 and 2012, 1006 confirmed or probable human plague cases occurred in the United States.

Plague Worldwide

Plague epidemics have occurred in Africa, Asia, and South America but most human cases since the 1990s have occurred in Africa. Almost all of the cases reported in the last 20 years have occurred among people living in small towns and villages or agricultural areas rather than in larger towns and cities.

Reported* Plague Cases by Country, 2013-2018

Plague occurs on all continents except Europe and Australia. Central and east Africa have the most reported plague for the years 2000-2009.  Additional clusters of cases during this time period occurred in northern Africa, central Asia, southeast Asia, China, India, Madagascar, Peru, and the United States.