Patient with the plague in Oregon

Question

Somebody in Central Oregon was treated with the plague?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR35BUf7/

Comments

Yes, this claim is true, Deschutes County Health Services has verified a case of human plague. According to information provided on the official Deschutes County website, the individual   contracted the infection from their symptomatic pet cat. Fortunately, prompt identification has mitigated community risk. Notably, the previous instance of plague in the area was documented in 2015.


https://www.deschutescounty.gov/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

---

This claim is true. There has been one person who contracted the disease through a house cat, and this incident did happen in Oregon. According to the Deschutes County Health Service, they verified that it is not a widespread risk and was quickly contained, ensuring it poses no further concern to the general public. Additionally, an NPR article backs up this information, confirming its accuracy while emphasizing that it is not considered a significant threat.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2024/02/14/1231215446/so-you-think-you-know-all-about-the-plague

---

Yes, this information is accurate. Deschutes Country confirmed that one resident was by their infected pet cat.  “All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” said Dr. Richard Fawcett, Deschutes County Health Officer.

https://www.deschutes.org/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

---

Yes, this claim is true since there is evidence from the CDC that someone from central Oregon contracted the bubonic plague. They were infected by their house cat who has since then passed away but the human is being treated and is now on the mend.

https://www.deschutes.org/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

---

Your fact check was short and informative. You let us know the facts and the information that was needed. I appreciate you including the information about the last recorded case of the plaque as well.

---

Good response. Your fact check was informative, and I feel I can believe and understand the initial claim better. The information you included was very helpful.

---

I think your comment was very insightful because you did also include a detail where it's not something that everyone should be worried about like the Tik Tok where it could harm people into thinking they are at a huge amount of risk.

---

I thought you did a good job with this claim! The only thing I would say is to add more background information about the source. Adding a quote is good, but I would explain the source a little more.

Answer 1

This claim is true 

Deschutes County Health Services confirmed a case of human plague. The Deschutes County website reports that the individual was likely infected by their symptomatic pet cat. The case poses little risk to the community due to the early identification. The last case of plague was reported in 2015.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an average of seven human plague cases have been reported each year in recent decades, and over 80% of U.S. plague cases have been the bubonic form. The last urban epidemic of the plague in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 to 1925. The plague is a serious illness but can be treated with antibioticsMost human cases of the plague occur in two regions:

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

Deschutes Country Offical Website: https://www.deschutescounty.gov/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

CDC Plague Page: https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html

Comments

This is a very interesting and informative fact check. I had no idea this was a thing. I appreciate how you used information from the CDC because they are highly reliable and able to provide accurate and up to date information of important health topics. I was also unaware the plague can be treated with antibiotics. It is interesting to learn and nice you included some of this for the readers as well.

---

This is a very good fact-check! Use used very credible sources and included a source from the CDC which included the stats and needed information surrounding the Bubonic plague and its likelihood.

---

I like the organizational form of your fact check. It makes it easy to read and take in. You also had quality sources and information.

---

I think this was a great fact check in terms of getting proper and informative information. The answer also provides ample background that proves useful when looking at something related to health.

---

This is a very strong fact check. You used credible sources and cited them clearly. Your argument was very clear and well organized, and the use of the information from your sources strengthened your argument.

Answer 2

This is true. According to ABC news, Deschutes County Health Services confirmed a case of the bubonic plague, believed to have been caught from their cat. Dr. Richard Fawcett confirmed that all close contacts of the resident and their cat have been informed and provided medication. Health officials have also confirmed that they caught it in "its early stages, posing little risk to the community." This case is the first example in Oregon since 2015. 

Comments

Your fact check is very concise and straight to the point, however adding examples and sources will help verify your claims.

---

The fact check effectively verifies the accuracy of the first statement of a verified case of the bubonic plague in Oregon's Deschutes County. The use of ABC News as a source for information adds credibility, and Deschutes County Health Services' confirmation of the bubonic plague case supports the story. The original claim regarding the mode of transmission is supported by Dr. Richard Fawcett's statement regarding the likelihood of transmission from a cat. Furthermore, the claim's evaluation of low community risk is supported by the evidence that the case was discovered early on and posed little harm to the community. Lastly, the statement that this case is Oregon's first instance of the bubonic plague since 2015 offers historical background in support of the timeline originally stated in the claim.

---

Your answer is clear and easy to understand. It would be beneficial to include more sources and delve deeper into the research. Multiple sources can offer a fuller picture, as one news channel might not cover all the relevant information.

---

I like your fact check since it's concise and direct, which appeals to readers who might not have much time to research the topic and are eager to find out if it's true. Although you have a source, it isn't particularly reliable and ought to have been referenced more precisely. Referring to reliable resources like the CDC and the Deschutes County government website reinforced the accuracy of other fact-checks I had come across. Overall, you have the essential knowledge, and everything is accurate, so well done!

---

This is a really good FactCheck as it summarizes the story and confirms that the diagnosis poses little risk to the community. It is short and gets to the point because this story could easily be blown out of proportion.

Answer 3

It is true that a case of a person infected by the bubonic plague was reported in Oregon, however thanks to modern medicine and antibiotics the plague is nowhere near as fatal as it was during the Black Death. The infected person was treated, and according to health officials there is "little risk to the community" that the disease will spread. The plague is extremely rare to catch now, but according to the CDC, an average of seven plagues cases are reported a year and 80 percent of them are bubonic.

All of this information can be found on Rare Human Case of Bubonic Plague in Oregon Confirmed by Authorities : ScienceAlert 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/feb/13/bubonic-plague-oregon-what-to-know#:~:text=A%20case%20of%20bubonic%20plague%20%E2%80%93

Bubonic plague is still a threat in 2024. Here are 5 things to know about it : Goats and Soda : NPR

Comments

I like how this answer doubles both as a fact-check and a PSA. Not only did you prove the claim to be true with trustworthy sources, but you also addressed possible concerns that people could have upon hearing this information. This extra step increased the scope of your research, and therefore added extra context, that is important to the fact-check itself.

Answer 4

This tiktok is true unfortunately. When you first look up the title you'll see multiple stories confirmed this subject from trusted publications like AP news, Smithsonian magazine, and CNN news 

https://apnews.com/us-news/plague-oregon-general-news-6d5a71b8a45e5e38ec321fd48fdb9576

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oregon-resident-catches-rare-case-of-plague-likely-from-their-cat-180983785/

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/13/health/plague-oregon-cat/index.html

My problem with all of these stories is that they are all claiming "officials said." I don't like that statement because it doesn't give the reader an official name, organization, or publication that it originated from. I researched a little deeper and found the county in Oregon where it originated from and their official release of the information that was released 5 days prior to all the previous mentioned publications. The release states: " Deschutes County Health Services has confirmed a case of human plague in a local resident. The individual was likely infected by their symptomatic pet cat.“All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” said Dr. Richard Fawcett, Deschutes County Health Officer. "

https://www.deschutes.org/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

Comments

I enjoyed reading your fact check because you provided multiple sources which supported the claim. It can be annoying when you repeatedly here "officials said" in multiple articles, and I believe the majority of them are referencing the Deschutes County Health Services and the doctors and public health managers who were interviewed and provided the information. Good job remaining skeptical of the information provided and going deeper to find who they were talking about!

---

This was a good fact check with correctly cited sources and a very descriptive understanding of the issue at hand. The use of quotes specifically was very helpful, and added legitimacy to what I was reading.

---

The fact checks were thorough and well-researched, utilizing correctly cited sources and providing detailed explanations.  Your use of quotes really added a layer of legitimacy and made the information more engaging. It's awesome how you not only confirmed the claim with reliable sources but also addressed potential concerns people might have about it. This shows your research went beyond just verifying the claim, adding valuable context. Your concise and direct approach is great for readers who need quick answers. While some sources could have been more reliable, like the CDC or local government websites, overall, your fact checks are spot-on. Keep up the fantastic work!

Answer 5

This claim is true.

USA Today posted an article confirming that a person in Oregon caught the bubonic plague from their cat. They said that authorities confirmed this information on February 7th.

AP News also posted an article confirming the same thing. They said that both the cat and owner were treated but the cat unfortunately did not survive.

ABC News also posted an article confirming the same thing. They said that the case "posed little risk to the community" and that "no additional cases of plague have emerged during the communicable disease investigation."

Sources...

- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/02/16/bubonic-plague-oregon-confirmed-what-to-know/72627028007/

- https://apnews.com/us-news/plague-oregon-general-news-6d5a71b8a45e5e38ec321fd48fdb9576

- https://abcnews.go.com/Health/pet-owner-bubonic-plague-cat-oregon/story?id=107193625

Answer 6

Though that this post comes from TikTok (which at that point I usually would acknowledge the claim as flawed), this claim is true. In the video, the agent includes a picture of three counties that the plague could have been found in. Upon further research, I found that Deschute County's website verifies this, saying that "Deschutes County Health Services has confirmed a case of human plague in a local resident." However, it should be noted that the page goes on to explain that the source came from a sick cat, and explains the last case was noted in Oregon was in 2015.

https://www.deschutescounty.gov/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

 

Comments

It's crazy that this is true! I also saw that the claim came from a tiktok video and will usually write those claims off as false but after doing some digging I realized it was true. It is so shocking! You did a great job at including your opinion and some background context for the readers looking through the responses.

Answer 7

This claim is true. 

According to a statement put out on the official deschutes county website, posted on febuary 7th, 2024, the county confirmed a case of the human plague.

They said in the statement that the local resident got the plague from their pet cat.

This claim has also been checked and reported on by multiple news sites including CNN and CBS news.

According to the CDC, there has been "an average of seven human plague cases have been reported each year (range: 1–17 cases per year)" so although this is true, it is an extremely rare case.

 

Comments

This fact check is accurate since it cites several sources to support the claims made in the claim. The claim is supported by a statement on the official Deschutes County website dated February 7th, 2024, which validates the county's confirmation of a human plague case. Furthermore, the statement's information is congruent with the report of the local homeowner catching the plague from their pet cat. The fact that this case has been covered by numerous news outlets, such as CNN and CBS News, adds further support to its legitimacy and general recognition. In addition, the CDC's information regarding a lack of human instances of the plague puts the gravity and importance of this verified case in perspective.

---

Your fact check was interesting to read because you cited several references to back up your assertion. Well done for continuing to be dubious of the information given and for investigating further to determine who they were speaking of! Although you could have added the sources to your response.

---

This is an accurate fact check that states the necessary information concisely and with all the necessary context. I think that it might've helped to add some cited sources, but overall, this is still a good fact check.

Answer 8

This claim is true. 

The deschutes county did post on their main website about the confirmation to the case but they also ensure people that the close contacts have been dealt with and the case itself was caught early in a stage that is treatable with modern medication. There are other websites like the cdc and reliable government health websites that speak of the recorded cases that have happened in the most recent decades and all of the have been treated and not spread. 

https://www.deschutescounty.gov/health/page/deschutes-county-confirms-case-human-plague-local-resident

https://www.cdc.gov/plague/index.html

Comments

Good fact check! The CDC is a really good source to refer back to in assessing the validity of health claims. In the future, I would expand on the claims made by the CDC  with statistics or direct quotes to further emphasize the impact of their claims.

Answer 9

This TikTok is true. The Deschutes County health officials confirmed that a resident in central Oregon had been diagnosed with the bubonic plague- the first case in 8 years. According to Emily Horton who is the public health program manager at Deschutes County Health Services, the Oregon resident was infected by their pet cat who already died from the disease. In a CBS article, Deschutes County Health Officer Dr. Richard Fawcett said all people who were in close contact with the person had been notified and given medication to prevent the spread of the disease. Luckily the diagnosis occurred early in the illness which greatly reduces the risk of it spreading. The TikTok also gave the correct set of symptoms which are highlighted by the CDC who says  fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, painful lymph nodes are all symptoms of the plague. The original TikTok uses the fish from Spongebob to highlight breaking news articles. I looked into a few on the page and it does accurately cover news, but fails to include sources. 

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2024/02/bubonic-plague-case-in-oregon-tied-to-pet-cat-health-officials-say.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plague-what-to-know-symptoms-transmission/

https://www.cdc.gov/plague/symptoms/index.html#:~:text=Bubonic%20plague%3A%20The%20incubation%20period,bite%20of%20an%20infected%20flea.

Comments

This a great fact check! It was key that you found the original tik toker and proved them unreliable as other answers were not. Overall there was quality points made with the sources to back the statements up. Great Job!

Answer 10

This claim appears to be completely accurate as the Deschutes County Health Services website has a page explaining how the individual in this case ended up getting the plague. The plague sounds very scary, and when added to TikTok posts' somewhat misinformed and fearmongering nature, this case could come off as very grim or scary. However, due to early detection and modern medicine, the individual will likely be completely fine

Comments

This fact-check is good, but I think including sources to increase credibility would be more effective. Overall, there are good points made. Acknowledging the impact of TikTok and its fear-mongering nature was a nice addition.