Plague case confirmed in NM dog

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The New Mexico Department of Health has confirmed the state's first plague case of the year in a dog from Santa Fe.

Health officials say the dog was found chewing on a dead rodent while hiking with its owner on a trail in the Sun Mountain area. The dog became ill but has since recovered.

The department says the case was confirmed this week.

There were six human cases of plague last year, with three of them in Santa Fe County. One of the Santa Fe County cases was an 8-year-old boy who died.

Plague is a bacterial disease found in rodents in the wild. It can be transmitted through the bite of an infected flea. Symptoms include fever, chills, painful lymph nodes, headache, vomiting or diarrhea.