A resident of South Lake Tahoe has tested positive for the bubonic plague El Dorado County officials announced. The person is recovering at home and is believed to have been bitten by an infected flea while camping in Lake Tahoe.
So far this year California health officials have confirmed the plague bacterium was found in four rodents they tested in El Dorado County.
The plague bacteria are usually transmitted by flea bites from fleas who first bite infected rodents like rats, squirrels, or chipmunks. House pets can also transfer infected fleas into homes.
“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County, said Kyle Fliflet, El Dorado County’s Acting Director of Public Health. “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,” he added.
Plague can be prevented by avoiding contact with wild rodents, and by keeping pets away from rodent burrows.
Symptoms of plague usually show up within two weeks of exposure to an infected animal or flea and include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes. Plague can be effectively treated with antibiotics if detected early.
Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious. Prior to the current case, the most recently reported case of human plague in El Dorado County was in 2020, likely exposed in the South Lake Tahoe area. Two people were reported with plague in 2015 after having been exposed to infected rodents or their fleas in Yosemite National Park. All individuals were treated and recovered. Those were the first reported human cases in the state since 2006.
