A case of the plague has been reported in Lake Tahoe, officials said. The infected person is believed to have been bitten by an infected flea while camping in the area
Authorities in California announced that a plague case has been confirmed in Lake Tahoe.
El Dorado County officials revealed that the California Department of Health has been alerted to a plague-infected California resident who is believed to have been bitten by an infected flea during a camping trip in South Lake Tahoe. The resident is recuperating at home while receiving medical treatment, El Dorado County officials confirmed.
Additional details have not been released. “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 comes after horror in Arizona as patient dies from rare infection hours after walking into ER.
“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 warned.
“Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. It is transmitted between animals through fleas. Humans can be infected,” the World Health Organization wrote on its website.
The World Health Organization noted that there are two forms of the plague, bubonic and pneumonic. “Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague and is caused by the bite of an infected flea,” the organization stated.
“Pneumonic plague, or lung-based plague, is the most virulent form of plague. Incubation can be as short as 24 hours.” In July, a northern Arizona resident died from pneumonic plague, health officials reported.
Pneumonic plague averages seven reported cases annually across the US, primarily in western states. The death in Coconino County, home to Flagstaff, marks the first recorded fatality from pneumonic plague since 2007, according to local authorities.
The victim’s identity and further details remain undisclosed. Plague is a bacterial infection notorious for wiping out tens of millions during the 14th century in Europe. Today, it can be easily treated with antibiotics.
The most common form of this bacterial infection is the bubonic plague, which naturally spreads among rodents such as prairie dogs and rats. There are two other forms: septicemic plague that infiltrates the entire body, and pneumonic plague that targets the lungs.
Of these, pneumonic plague is the deadliest and easiest to transmit. The bacteria is spread through the bites of infected fleas that can transfer it between rodents, pets, and humans.
People can also contract the plague by coming into contact with infected bodily fluids. Health experts advise exercising caution when dealing with dead or sick animals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most cases occur in rural areas of northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.
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