Ore. man survives "black death" plague (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

This photo supplied by the Gaylord family taken July 11, 2012, at a hospital in Bend, Ore., shows the blackened hand of Paul Gaylord as he recovers from the bubonic plague, commonly known as the "black death." Gaylord contracted the disease 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, toes and his ability to make a living. He faces an arduous recovery surrounded by constant reminders of his misery: The infected cat died, and the trailer he's living in has a mouse problem.

This photo supplied by the Gaylord family taken July 6, 2012, at a hospital in Bend, Ore., shows Paul Gaylord as he recovers from the plague. Gaylord contracted the disease when he tried to pull a mouse out of the mouth of his cat, Charlie, because it was choking on the rodent. Often transmitted by fleas that are infected with the Yersinia pestis bacteria, people often get the bubonic plague through a bite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include a swollen lymph gland known as a "bubo," fever, chills, headache, and extreme exhaustion. Illness usually occurs two to six days after infection.

This photo supplied by the Gaylord family taken June 16, 2012, at a hospital in Bend, Ore., shows Jake Gaylord (left) with his father, Paul Gaylord, as he recovers from the plague.

This undated photo supplied by the Gaylord family shows Paul Gaylord at his Prineville, Ore., home before he was infected with the plague. Gaylord contracted the plague when trying to pull a mouse out of the mouth of his cat, Charlie, because it was choking on the rodent.

This undated photo supplied by the Gaylord family shows Paul Gaylord at his Prineville, Ore., home before the disease. During the "Black Death" period starting in the late 1340s and lasting for centuries, 25 million lives were claimed, according to National Geographic.

This undated photo supplied by the Gaylord family shows Paul Gaylord at his Prineville, Ore., home. 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.

This undated photo supplied by the Gaylord family shows Paul Gaylord at his Prineville, Ore., home.

According to The Oregonian, the man became ill with the bubonic plague after he was bitten on the hand by a cat while trying to get a mouse out of its mouth. He was listed in critical condition at St. Charles Medical Center-Bend, and his family was given preventative medication. He marks the fifth case discovered in Oregon since 1995.

The stray cat has since died, and has been sent to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention for testing.

This photo supplied by the Gaylord family taken July 5, 2012, at a hospital in Bend, Ore., shows Paul Gaylord as he recovers from the plague. Treatment consists of hospitalization, antibiotics and medical isolation. If untreated, plague bacteria can multiply in the bloodstream. If the lungs are infected, the person gets the pneumonia form of the plague, creating problems in the respiratory system. Both types can be fatal, and about 1 in 7 cases in the U.S. end in death.

On average, 10 to 20 people are diagnosed with the disease each year in the U.S., with worldwide rates reported at 1,000 to 3,000 cases a year.

This photo supplied by the Gaylord family taken July 6, 2012, at a hospital in Bend, Ore., shows Paul Gaylord as he recovers from the plague. Gaylord contracted the disease when he tried to pull a mouse out of the mouth of his cat, Charlie, because it was choking on the rodent. While four people have died from the plague since 1934, the last four cases - one in 1995, two in 2010 and one in 2011 - all survived, according to the Oregonian. While a plague vaccine exists, it is no longer sold in the U.S. Read more: Oregon man diagnosed with "black death" plague