California person tests positive for plague; likely bitten by flea at Lake Tahoe

Flea on a person's skin
Plague FILE PHOTO: A person has tested positive for the plague after presumably being bitten by a flea while camping. (KLEJDYSZ TOMASZ/Tomasz - stock.adobe.com)

A person in California has tested positive for the plague, state health officials said.

It is believed that the person, who was not identified, was bitten by a flea while camping in the South Lake Tahoe area, CNN reported.

El Dorado County officials said in a news release that the person is recovering at home and is being cared for by medical professionals.

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County," county acting Director of Public Health Kyle Fliflet said in the release. “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.”

The agency said the plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium, passed by fleas after they are infected by squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents.

Symptoms develop within two weeks and include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes.

It is treated with antibiotics if caught early.

There have been four rodents that have tested positive for the plague this year in the Tahoe Basin.

A person in Arizona died of the plague last month, ABC News reported. It was a separate case from the one in California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that at least 15 people have died from the plague since 2000. On average, there are seven cases annually.

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