A deadly case of pneumonic plague has claimed a life in Northern Arizona, with the victim dying at Flagstaff Medical Center on July 11- the region's first such death since 2007 . This shocking incident underlines the lethal potential of a disease that, while rare, progresses rapidly and can be fatal within two days without treatment ( ref1 ).

Septicemic plague occurs if bubonic plague is left untreated, or it can occur directly if the disease enters the bloodstream. Septicemic plague causes bleeding into the organs. The name comes from septicemia, which refers to a serious blood infection.

The resident died from pneumonic plague, the first such death in Coconino County, Ariz., since 2007, the county said.