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Plague Death: 16-Year-Old Dies From Rare Septicemic Plague After Being Bitten By Fleas

By Effie Orfanides
Published on: 00:07 PST, Jun 22, 2015

A rare plague death has been reported in Colorado. According to Sport Act, a 16-year-old boy named Taylor Gaes died suddenly at his home in Cherokee Park earlier this month. The Larimer County Health Department believes that Gaes contracted the septicemic plague, which is the rarest of all three types of the plague. The septicemic plague enters the bloodstream when a person is bitten by fleas on a dead animal, usually a rodent.

If left untreated, the septicemic plague is fatal. The report indicates that fewer than 5,000 people are diagnosed with the septicemic plague annually.

The plague death of Taylor Gaes occurred on June 8. According to Fox News, Gaes died one day after his 16th birthday. His family and friends thought that he had a bad case of the flu, and more than likely never expected to hear that he was sick with the plague. Health officials warned his family, and anyone else who had been around him or around the family’s home, about the potential to contract the septicemic plague, and urged anyone who thinks they may have a fever or other flu-like symptoms to see a doctor immediately.

“There is a small chance that others might have been bitten by infected fleas, so anyone who was on the family’s land in the last 7 days should seek medical attention immediately if a fever occurs.”

Before his plague death, Taylor was in excellent shape, and in good health. He was a star baseball player for his high school and was already a college prospect. He loved to play ball and was hoping to continue to play for the next several years.

“We often talk about Taylor’s potential as an athlete, but he was much more than that. He was a good friend to all of our players. He was a special young man,” Poudre baseball coach Russell Haigh.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, friends and family gathered at the Colorado State University Equine Center on Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil. Below are some photos from the emotional gathering.

[Photo via Facebook]

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