California resident diagnosed with plague

A South Lake Tahoe, Calif., resident has tested positive for the plague, area health officials confirmed this week. 

El Dorado County said in a Monday statement that the “individual is currently under the care of a medical professional and is recovering at home.” Officials said the person, who is an “avid walker,” could have been bitten by “an infected flea” while walking their dog along the Truckee River Corridor or the Tahoe Keys area. 

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County. 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,” El Dorado County Public Health Officer Nancy Williams said Monday in a statement.

The statement explained that the plague is caused by bacterium often transmitted by fleas who acquired the bacteria from infected squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents. Household pets like dogs and cats “may also bring plague-infected fleas into the home.” 

Symptoms of the plague include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes.

The last confirmed case of plague confirmed in California was in 2015, when two individuals were exposed in Yosemite National Park. Both people fully recovered. 

There has been a range of one to 17 cases of human plague in the U.S. each year since 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.