South Lake Tahoe hiker tests positive for plague, first case in California since 2015

If you had the Black Death or Bubonic Plague on your 2020 bingo card, you can check this space now.

A resident of South Lake Tahoe has tested positive for human plague, the first case in California in five years.

The person, “an avid walker,” may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking her dog along the Truckee River in the Tahoe Keys area, according to El Dorado health officials.

Plague is spread by fleas, which catch bacteria from squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents.

The disease has caused epidemics throughout history, killing millions of people. A third of the European population died in the 14th century from the plague, or “black plague”.

The plague arrived in the United States in 1900 from ships infested with rats. The last major epidemic in the country occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 to 1925.

On average, seven cases of human plague are reported in the country each year, most in the southwest. The vast majority is the bubonic form of plague, although there is also septicaemic plague and pneumonic plague.

Plague is now treated with antibiotics, but it can be fatal without treatment.

“The plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including the high areas of El Dorado County,” said Dr. Nancy Williams, county public health official. “It is important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when they are outdoors, especially when walking, hiking and / or camping in areas where rodents are wild are present. Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious. “

Symptoms such as fever, nausea, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes, which often appear within two weeks of exposure to an infected animal or a flea.

The last cases of plague in California date back to 2015, with two people infected in Yosemite National Park. These are the first cases since 2006.

Health officials regularly check animals for plague. From 2016 to 2019, El Dorado County identified 20 animals with plague – all in the South Lake Tahoe area.

Officials have advised against feeding squirrels or chipmunks, wearing long pants to reduce flea exposure, and protecting pets with flea medication, including cats, which are very susceptible to fleas. plague and can pass it on to their owners.