Primary pneumonic plague contracted from a mountain lion carcass.

Background: Primary pneumonic plague is a rare but often fatal form of Yersinia pestis infection that results from direct inhalation of bacteria and is potentially transmissible from person to person. We describe a case of primary pneumonic plague in a wildlife biologist who was found deceased in his residence 1 week after conducting a necropsy on a mountain lion.

Methods: To determine cause of death, a postmortem examination was conducted, and friends and colleagues were interviewed.