India, Aug. 8 -- A domestic cat in Colorado died of the bubonic plague, weeks after a man in Arizona succumbed to the same disease, authorities reported, sparking fears of an outbreak in the US.

The bubonic plague pandemic, known as Black Death, which occurred from 1346 to 1353 in Europe, claimed the lives of 50 million.

The cat from Evergreen did not survive, officials from Jefferson County Public Health announced on Wednesday.

As per officials, this is the first confirmed case of illness caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria in the US since 2023.

An Arizona resident died of the plague last month, and authorities have warned that a prairie dog die-off in the region might be behind the outbreak of the lethal disease.

They said that ...