Health officials confirmed Thursday that a man from Utah has become the fourth person in the U.S. to die of the plague.
Officials from Utah's Department of Health are still investigating how the man, who is said to be in his 70s, came into contact with the disease, but they think it is possible that he may have caught it from a dead animal or a flea.
"That's the most common way to get it," said JoDee Baker, an epidemiologist with the agency, according to the Associated Press. "That's probably what happened, but we're still doing an investigation into that."
The man died earlier this month, and Baker revealed that this particular plague case is the first in the state since 2009. Baker has advised anybody who plans on going on a camping trip or visit in rural areas to apply DEET-filled insect repellents.
Anyone who experiences the symptoms of the disease or knows somebody who experiences these symptoms can take antibiotics and must receive treatment immediately, USA Today reported.
Plague takes place mostly in rural and semi-rural areas in the country and normally transpire in western states such as Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that acts as the foundation of the plague, ensues innately in the environment and is commonly found in places where there are rodents like rats, squirrels and chipmunks, according to CNN.
