AP) — A second human plague case has been confirmed in New Mexico’s Bernalillo County.

The New Mexico Department of Health says a 59-year-old woman from Bernalillo County is recovering.

Her name isn’t being released.

It’s the third human case of plague in New Mexico this year and the second in Bernalillo County.

The other cases in the state occurred in a 52-year-old woman from Santa Fe County who died from the illness and a 65-year-old man from Bernalillo County who recovered.

Plague is a potentially fatal illness in people that occurs in many parts of New Mexico.

It is caused by bacteria found in rodents, especially ground squirrels, rabbits and hares.

Most human cases of plague are acquired through the bite of infected fleas.