The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announces a Lincoln County man has died of plague after being hospitalized for the disease. The case is the first human case of plague in New Mexico since 2021 and the first death since 2020. Plague is a bacterial disease of rodents and is generally spread to humans through the bites of infected fleas. It can also spread by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and pets. For more details fact sheets, go to nmhealth.org.