A California resident has tested positive for Bubonic Plague. The case was confirmed on August 17 in a resident of South Lake Tahoe. Health officials confirm that it is the first case in 5 years.
The individual is described as an "avid walker" who may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog in the Tahoe Keys area or along the "Truckee River Corridor" north of Highway 50
The patient is currently recovering at home under the care of medical professionals.The plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis, and the disease is perhaps best known for causing the Black Death in Europe in the 1300s. The infection still occurs today, although it is relatively rare and usually treatable with common antibiotics. In the U.S., about seven cases of plague occur each year, on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Humans can catch the plague through flea bites or through contact with the tissue or bodily fluids of an infected animal, the CDC says. The last known cases of plague in California occurred in 2015 in two visitors to Yosemite National Park.
The most common type of plague in the U.S. is known as bubonic plague, which can cause fever, nausea, weakness, and swollen and painful lymph nodes (called buboes), the CDC says. This type of plague, which is not contagious, is usually caused by a flea bite.
Steps to prevent plague infections include:
Avoiding contact with wild rodents (including sick, injured or dead rodents); keeping pets away from rodent burrows; keeping pets on a leash when outside; and wearing long pants and insect repellent to reduce flea exposure
Source :- Livescience
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