California Confirms First Case Of Plague In Five Years
For the first time in five years, California Health officials have confirmed a case of plague at South Lake Tahoe.
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The California Department of Public Health notified people of the positive test of a local resident who is currently under medical care while recovering at home, El Dorado County officials said Monday. It was said that the resident may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking a dog along the Truckee River Corridor.
As the news site notes, Plague bacteria are most often transmitted by fleas that have acquired it from infected squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents. Dogs and cats may also carry plague-infected fleas. “Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County,” said El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams, according to ABC News. Symptoms, which usually appears within two weeks of exposure, may include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes. However, if detected early, the deadly illness can be effectively treated with antibiotics.
“It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking and/or camping in areas where wild rodents are present. Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious,” she added, the New York Post notes.
“The last reported cases of plague in California were two human cases which were exposed to infected rodents or their fleas in Yosemite National Park in 2015,” the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Department said in a statement, adding that “Both people were treated and recovered. These were the first reported human cases in the state since 2006.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is an average of just seven human plague cases a year.
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