Ore. man recovering from rare case of plague

Contracted the disease after being bitten by a stray cat

July 18, 2012 05:32 AM

**AP Photo/The Gaylord Family**
Paul Gaylord contracted the plague when he tried to pull a mouse out of the mouth of his cat, Charlie, because it was choking on the rodent. The disease, a version of the medieval scourge that wiped out at least a third of Europe, took away the 59-year-old welder’s fingertips, his toes and his ability to make a living.

By Steven Dubois
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — One look at Paul Gaylord’s hands shows why the plague is referred to as “Black Death.”

The central Oregon man who contracted a rare case of the plague last month after being bitten a stray cat has seen his once-strong hands darkened to the color of charcoal.

Doctors may be able to save a portion of his fingers. The 59-year-old man makes his living as a welder.

He faces a difficult recovery now that he’s out of intensive care. His family is trying to raise money to get him into a new house, because the manufactured home he was living in has a leaky roof, a moldy bathroom and mice. Those are dangerous living conditions for a man with a weakened immune system.

Clinical