A sudden and tragic death in Northern Arizona has jolted both local officials and public health experts. A resident died from the plague within just 24 hours of showing symptoms, marking one of the rare but serious instances of the disease in the United States. The person, who has not been publicly identified, was rushed to Flagstaff Medical Center in critical condition but succumbed the same day. An autopsy confirmed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague.

The case has sparked renewed concern, especially as it occured at the same time with a reported die-off of prairie dogs near Flagstaff, an ecological warning sign that the plague may be spreading through local wildlife.

Though it’s often associated with the Black Death of the 14th century, which wiped out millions in Europe, plague is far from extinct. In fact, it continues to appear in small pockets across rural parts of the western United States—including areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.

According to the CDC, the U.S. reports an average of seven human plague cases annually. Most of them are bubonic plague, and the disease remains treatable with antibiotics—if caught in time.

The recent Arizona case is a stark reminder of how fast and fatal plague can be if untreated. Coconino County health officials said symptoms can appear within 1–8 days of exposure, and immediate medical care is essential to survival.

While officials have withheld the identity and demographic details of the deceased, their rapid deterioration has been linked to an ongoing investigation into unusual prairie dog deaths northeast of Flagstaff. These rodents, commonly found across the Southwest, are known to harbor fleas that can transmit Yersinia pestis.

“Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague but are not considered long-term reservoirs of the disease,” the county stated. However, their die-off is often the first sign that plague is circulating in the environment.

Authorities are working with private property owners to collect flea samples from affected areas. So far, no other human cases have been confirmed.

What Is Yersinia pestis?

Yersinia pestis is a highly infectious bacterium that causes plague. It spreads primarily through bites from infected fleas or direct contact with infected animals, especially rodents. Humans may also become infected through handling contaminated animal tissues or inhaling respiratory droplets from an infected person or animal.

Despite its ancient roots, modern plague is very much a public health concern and if left untreated, it can quickly escalate into a medical emergency.

3 Forms of Plague

Plague manifests in three distinct ways, depending on how the infection spreads in the body:

Bubonic Plague

The most common form, often spread by flea bites. Symptoms include fever, chills, extreme fatigue, and painful, swollen lymph nodes (called buboes). If treated promptly with antibiotics, survival rates exceed 90%.

Septicemic Plague

This form affects the bloodstream and can arise from untreated bubonic plague or direct infection. It’s more severe and presents with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding under the skin, and tissue death—often turning fingers, toes, or the nose black. Left untreated, it is often fatal.

Pneumonic Plague

The rarest and most dangerous form, pneumonic plague infects the lungs. It can be transmitted from person to person through airborne droplets, making it the only contagious form. Symptoms include fever, chest pain, cough, and difficulty breathing. Without treatment, it progresses rapidly and is often fatal.

In the Arizona case, the resident reportedly died within a day of showing symptoms, underscoring the disease’s swift progression. According to health officials, timing is everything. Plague must be treated within 24 hours of symptom onset for the best outcome.

The last significant outbreak in Arizona occurred in 1996, when two out of five infected individuals died. In both cases, a delayed diagnosis was the critical failure. One of them, an 18-year-old, likely contracted the disease after walking through a prairie dog colony in Navajo County. Traces of Yersinia pestis were later found in the fleas of pet dogs in the area.

Risk Factors and Tips to Stay Safe Related to Plague

While plague is rare, it remains a risk in certain rural areas where wild rodent populations are common. Arizona’s Department of Health and the CDC recommend the following precautions:

• Avoid contact with wild rodents, especially sick or dead animals.
• Use flea control products for pets and avoid letting them roam in areas with prairie dogs or wild rabbits.
• Clear clutter and debris around homes to deter rodent nesting.
• Stay away from burrows or animal dens, particularly when camping or hiking.
• Report unusual animal deaths, particularly among prairie dogs or squirrels, to local authorities.

Residents experiencing fever, swollen glands, or flu-like symptoms following exposure to wild areas should contact their physician immediately and mention possible rodent or flea exposure.

Is the Plague Coming Back?

No. While the term “plague” conjures images of medieval pandemics, modern medicine has kept it in check. Still, experts caution against complacency.

“People hear ‘plague’ and think it’s a relic of the past,” said a public health official from Coconino County. “But for those of us in rural areas of the West, it’s something we monitor every year.”

The plague hasn’t gone anywhere—it’s just rare. And in the few places where it remains endemic, vigilance is essential.

If you're in a region where plague is known to exist, take precautions seriously. Public health officials stress that education, awareness, and prompt action are the most powerful tools we have to prevent future tragedies like this one.

The two legendary German twins, Alice and Ellen Kessler, the greatest of entertainers, who rose to fame in the post war era died at the age of 89. They truly were inseparable, as they chose to leave the world in the same way they came, together. The sisters chose medically assisted dying on November 17, as reported by the German newspaper Bild.

The twin had shared that they "no longer wanted to live" and the decision to die together was made together with clarity and intention.

How Does Assisted Dying Work?

In terms of the Kessler Sisters, the police confirmed that there were no signs of foul play. The German Society for Humane Dying also stated that the sisters had chosen assisted suicide. This practice is legal in the country since 2019.

Read: Uruguay Becomes The First Catholic Latin American Country To Legalize Euthanasia

How Is Assisted Dying Different Than Euthanasia?

In assisting dying, the law allows and enables the individuals to self-administer the medication, so the choice and the agency to die remains with the individuals.

What Is Assisted Dying?

This refers to the practice of ending a person's life through medication. However, when the term 'dying' is replaced by 'suicide', the medication is then administered by self, whereas in other procedures, it may be done by a medical professional. Thus the term 'assisted dying' refers to both assisted suicide and euthanasia.

In assisted suicide, the person's will to die matters, and it may not require a terminal diagnosis. However, this definition to varies from country to country.

Also Read: Can Right To Die Be Practiced By Non-Terminally Ill Patients?

In many ways can assisted suicide be practiced including providing lethal medication, or helping the individual travel to another jurisdiction to die.

What Does The Law In Germany Say About Assisted Suicide?

In 2020, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court determined that individual autonomy should include the choice to die. This means that every person could decide for themselves. The law has a wider scope, which also includes any person helping an individual who has chosen to end their life, and they cannot be penalized for doing so. However, this condition only comes from the person who wants to end their life, and the decision must be taken freely.

The debate was introduced in 2015 due to the section 271 of the criminal code, which made assisted suicide almost impossible in Germany. The law stated that anyone who aided someone to take their own life could be jailed for up to three years.

Palliative sedation is administered to prevent suffering and ensure a dignified death. However, medication aims to relieve patients of unbearable pain, this is why its use as an alternative medically assisted suicide raises concerns. Currently, there is no approved medication for medically assisted suicide in Germany. though several medications are could be used, for instance in the United States, severely ill patients receive high doses of sodium pentobarbital and thiopental. However, pentobarbital is only approved for veterinary use in Germany.

In Germany, the intravenous route is often chosen, where the medication is administered through IV, and the patient must be the one opening the infusion. Doctors can assist but should not be directly involved in the act.

Every year on November 19, World COPD Day is organized to raise awareness, share knowledge and discuss ways to reduce the burden of COPD worldwide. COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and as per the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and has caused 3.5 million deaths in 2021 alone, of the 213 million people who were diagnosed with it. Projections indicate that the number of cases will increase to nearly 600 million by 2050, with a disproportionate rise expected among women and in low-and middle-income countries.

World COPD Day 2025 Theme

The theme for World COPD Day 2025 is 'Short of Breath, Think COPD'.

This year’s theme highlights a crucial issue: despite being the third leading cause of death globally, COPD is still widely overlooked and often misdiagnosed. Although it is a common, preventable, and treatable condition, many patients either remain undiagnosed or receive the wrong treatment. Early and accurate diagnosis can make a major public health difference, leading to better symptom control, improved lung function, and a higher quality of life.

Doctors stress that COPD should be suspected in anyone with persistent breathlessness, chronic cough, sputum production, recurrent lower respiratory infections, or a history of exposure to risk factors such as tobacco smoke, indoor cooking fuels, or occupational pollutants.

World COPD Day Origin

World COPD Day was launched in 2002 by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in partnership with the WHO. The first event marked a turning point in global respiratory health awareness, encouraging collaboration across continents.

Importance Of World COPD Day

The importance lies in its ability to draw attention to one of the top causes of deaths worldwide. Furthermore, this day promotes awareness by educating the public about COPD symptoms, persistent cough, breathlessness, and chest tightness, which may be mistaken as symptoms of normal aging.

It also encourages prevention of COPD, especially by emphasizing on quitting smoking, improving air quality, and reducing workplace exposures that contribute to COPD.

It also helps in the improvement of healthcare access, supports research and innovation by encouraging collaborations, and reduces stigma by helping patients overcome psychological barrier and seek timely help.

What Is COPD?

As per NHS UK, it is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. It includes:

• emphysema – damage to the air sacs in the lungs
• chronic bronchitis – long-term inflammation of the airways

COPD is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who smoke. Many people do not realize they have it.

The breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit your normal activities, although treatment can help keep the condition under control.

Common Symptoms of COPD

• shortness of breath, particularly when you're active
• a persistent chesty cough with phlegm – some people may dismiss this as just a "smoker's cough"
• frequent chest infections
• persistent wheezing

Talking about things makes you feel better, and the Thor star Chris Hemsworth is right at it. Now 42, he is opening up about his father, Craig's diagnosis of Alzheimer's and have seen the corrosive effects on his memory and perception already. He is now making the best of it, by having it all documented on film. While he was in the middle of making National Geographic longevity series Limitless, he learned that he too carried two copies of the Alzheimer's signifying gene APOE4, one from each parent. Back then he confronted this on camera, while on shoot, and this feels like a great idea for him to do it again on A Road Trip To Remember, an hour-long documentary that will air on NatGeo.

“There was apprehension about how this would be portrayed,” Hemsworth admits. “I asked Dad what he felt, and he was actually enthusiastic. He wanted to do it.”

The Australian actor is now taking steps to stay mentally and physically fit, especially after knowing that he is predisposed for Alzheimer's disease.

Living With More Awareness Now

Chris, who shares three children with wife Elsa Pataky, says his father's struggles have made him reflect deeply on how he lives. Some hardships in life, he notes, simply can’t be avoided.

“For me, the biggest takeaway was the comfort crisis we face,” he says, as reported in Esquire. “We settle for what’s familiar, even when it’s wrong, because the unknown feels scarier. But pushing against that is where growth happens.”

His father’s reaction to the diagnosis has also taught him that even a grim prognosis can be approached with courage. “It causes fear, but it’s also a reminder not to take anything for granted,” Hemsworth says. “While he can, Dad wants to capture as many memories as possible.”

A Trip Down The Memory Lane

At the time of filming, Craig’s symptoms were sporadic—some memory lapses, moments of confusion, but overall lucidity remained. Alzheimer’s, however, does not improve with time. Knowing this, the father-son duo set out on a cross-country motorbike trip across Australia.

They retraced old memories:

• A house in Melbourne where the family lived in the early ’90s
• A Northern Territory ranch where Craig once wrangled bulls
• A specific bend in an Outback creek where the family played when the boys—Chris, Luke, and Liam—were small

Guided only by a fading photograph and half-recalled memories, they attempted to reconnect with moments that shaped their family’s early years.

The documentary also explores reminiscence therapy, guided by Dr. Suraj Samtani from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of Sydney. The technique uses personal memories, photos, and familiar environments to stimulate the hippocampus, the part of the brain most affected by Alzheimer’s.

“One-on-one time with Dad was special,” Chris says. “Growing up, it was always all of us together.”

For Hemsworth, the experience has made one truth clear: the importance of connection.

“It became less about the science and more about the moments together,” he says. “Whether it’s 20 years or 20 days, hold on to every moment. Connect deeply, as often as you can.”