An Arizona resident has died from the plague as officials were probing whether a prairie dog die-off in the area was also tied to the lethal illness.

Arizona health officials are concerned about a prairie dog die-off northeast of Flagstaff that could be the result of a bigger problem. The Coconino County Health and Human Services stated that it received a report regarding a significant number of prairie dog deaths on private land in the Townsend-Winona area.