Alisha Plescher is the first woman in Michigan to contract the Bubonic Plague — a disease that killed around 25 million Europeans in the 14th century. Now, she lives to tell the tale.
Colorado Music Festivals and Hikes Could Give You The Bubonic Plague
The Plague, or Black Death, is transmitted through fleas on small animals, such as rodents. Plescher, who had been on a five day trip with her husband in Salida, Colorado, stated that she probably contracted the disease through a flea bite after spending time outdoors during music festivals or hikes, as the couple did not visit any shelters or campsites.
Within a day of returning to Michigan, she came down with a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (about 40 Celsius), and developed pain in her upper leg. Her body temperature continued to rise and rashes started to spread across her body until she was forced to visit the local hospital; that’s where the 33-year old learned she was making state history -although not in the most glamorous way.
“It’s surreal,” she states. “I don’t know if I’ve still processed that I’m fighting the plague, that I’m surviving the plague.”
This is not the first time she has battled a rare disease. Last year, Plescher suffered from a degenerative spine disease, which she also safely recovered from. At the moment, Plescher is not considered a risk to anyone around her as the plague was cured using a cocktail of antibiotics before it had a chance to reach the most infectious stage, known as the pneumonic plague.
Number of Cases Steadily Rising
Plescher’s case marks the 14th incident to occur since 2015 – twice the usual average per year in the United States, as stated by the CDC. Two of the victims have passed away, and, coincidentally, both patients were from Colorado. The disease is not one that occurs naturally in the state, and in the U.S., it is most commonly found in the Western region.
