Spillover into other susceptible wildlife, pets, or humans can also occur. Dr. Ettestad said that the general public has been calling in with increasing reports of dead or dying rodents and rabbits. Thus far, these have been in mainly rural areas of northern New Mexico, but all residents in the area need to be aware of the situation. Press releases, local television coverage, and alerts to veterinarians and physicians have been issued, with prevention measures highlighted. With a large population of sick and dead rodents that are easy prey, exposure to plague is increased for pets that are allowed to roam and hunt freely.
Cats appear to be more susceptible to plague than dogs do.
The submandibular lymph nodes are frequently infected as a result of ingestion of infected rodents and inoculation of the plague bacterium into the oral mucosa. The incubation period for plague in cats is usually around two days. Cats also develop septicemic and pneumonic forms of plague. According to Dr. Ettestad, about 10 percent of cats with plague seen in New Mexico veterinary clinics have pneumonic plague. This form may cause fever, respiratory tract signs with or without buboes, and signs that include sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, oral lesions, and lower respiratory tract signs.