California resident tests positive for the plague. Officials blame Lake Tahoe flea

A South Lake Tahoe nonmigratory has tested affirmative for the plague — yes, the aforesaid pest-transmitted illness estimated to person killed 25 cardinal Europeans successful the Middle Ages.

It is believed that the idiosyncratic contracted the uncommon and unsafe illness aft being bitten by an infected flea portion camping successful the South Lake Tahoe area, according to El Dorado County wellness officials. The diligent is nether the attraction of a aesculapian nonrecreational and recovering astatine home, wellness officials said.

“Plague is people contiguous successful galore parts of California, including higher-elevation areas of El Dorado County,” Kyle Fliflet, the county’s acting manager of nationalist health, said successful a statement. “It’s important that individuals instrumentality precautions for themselves and their pets erstwhile outdoors, particularly portion walking, hiking and/or camping successful areas wherever chaotic rodents are present.”

Plague is simply a precise superior illness but tin beryllium treated with easy disposable antibiotics, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The sooner a diligent is diagnosed and receives treatment, the greater their chances of making a afloat recovery, according to the CDC.

The illness is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is astir commonly dispersed to humans by bites from infected fleas, according to El Dorado County wellness officials. The illness tin besides beryllium dispersed by infected-rodent bites oregon by vulnerability to infected dogs and cats.

The illness is highly uncommon and infects connected mean 7 radical successful the U.S. per year, according to the CDC. Nevertheless, it indispensable beryllium taken earnestly due to the fact that of the precocious imaginable for decease if near untreated.

The past plague lawsuit reported successful El Dorado County was successful 2020 and was besides believed to beryllium transmitted successful the South Lake Tahoe area, wellness officials said. Two California plague cases were reported successful 2015, astir apt caused by bites from an infected flea oregon rodent successful Yosemite National Park. All 3 patients received attraction and made a afloat recovery, wellness officials said.

There were 45 crushed squirrels oregon chipmunks recorded with grounds of vulnerability to the plague bacterium successful the Lake Tahoe Basin from 2021 to the present, according to the California Department of Public Health, which routinely monitors rodent populations for plague enactment crossed the state.

El Dorado County wellness officials urged residents and visitors to instrumentality steps to debar vulnerability to rodents oregon ticks erstwhile exploring the wilderness astir Lake Tahoe. Measures see wearing agelong pants tucked into boots, utilizing a bug repellent with DEET, ne'er feeding oregon touching rodents, refraining from camping adjacent carnal burrows oregon dormant rodents, and leaving dogs astatine location erstwhile possible.

More than 80% of plague cases successful the U.S. person been successful the bubonic form, from which patients volition make swollen, achy lymph nodes called buboes, according to the CDC. This signifier of the illness typically results from an infected-flea bite, and symptoms specified arsenic buboes, fever, headache, chills and weakness make wrong 2 to 8 days, according to the CDC.

In July, an Arizona nonmigratory died of the pneumonic signifier of the plague, which tin make erstwhile bacteria dispersed to the lungs of a diligent with untreated bubonic plague. This is the astir superior signifier of the plague and tin person an incubation play of conscionable 1 day. It’s besides the lone signifier of the plague that tin dispersed from quality to human.

During the Middle Ages, infected rats were to blasted for the Black Death successful Europe successful the 14th century. The past municipality rat-infected plague outbreak successful America took spot successful Los Angeles successful 1924 and 1925, according to the CDC.