A woman from Crook County, Oregon (east of Bend) is in the hospital recovering from an infection of Bubonic Plague, the illness that killed up to 1/3 of residents in many European cities in the Middle Ages.

She likely caught it after being bitten by a flea while hunting near Heppner.

If you remember from history class, rats from Asia spread the plague around Europe after hitching a ride in trading vessels. The disease is spread by parasites on infected mice and rats.

The woman appears to be doing well, although some infected in recent years have lost fingers and toes.

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