Volume 25, Number 12—December 2019
Dispatch
Animal Exposure and Human Plague, United States, 1970–2017
Table 2
Animal type and nature of interaction for 258 human plague case-patients with identified animal exposures, United States, 1970–2017
Category of animal interaction | Domestic animal, n = 154, no. (%)* | Wild animal, n = 134, no. (%)* |
---|---|---|
Bite, scratch, lick, cough | 20 (13) | 2 (1) |
Skinning | 0 (0) | 54 (40) |
Handling a sick or dead animal | 29 (19) | 37 (24) |
Co-sleeping | 31 (20) | 0 (0) |
Casual handling or touching | 55 (36) | 29 (22) |
Other† | 19 (12) | 12 (9) |
*Interaction ordered from highest to lowest risk.
†Walking, feeding, or nature of interaction not specified.