Michigan Sees First-Ever Case of Bubonic Plague

State officials say Michigan has its first-ever bubonic plague patient, though the person reportedly caught the disease in Colorado.

The patient, whose identity has not been revealed, apparently contracted the disease from a flea bite in Colorado, which has seen several cases of the plague this year. The disease never developed into the more-contagious pneumonic plague, which can be transmitted between humans, and the victim is said to be recovering, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The CDC says only seven people contract the plague in the U.S. each year on average, though this year has seen a spike: 14 cases have already cropped up, killing four.

[Detroit Free Press]