A California resident has tested positive for pleach, marks the state’s first human case of the disease in five years, according to health officials.
The case was confirmed on Monday (August 17) in a South Lake Tahoe resident, according to a statement of the Department of Health and Human Services of El Dorado County.
The individual is described as an “avid walker” who may have been bitten by an infected flower while walking her dog in the Tahoe Keys area or along the “Truckee River Corridor” north of Highway 50, the statement said.
“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevations in El Dorado County,” said Drs. Nancy Williams, the official health officer of El Dorado County, in the statement. “It is important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when they are outdoors, especially when walking, walking and / or camping in areas where wild rodents are present. Human cases of plague are very rare, but can be very serious. . ”
The patient is currently recovering at home under the care of medical professionals, the statement said.
Related: Images of a Killer: A Plague Gallery
The plague is caused by invading bacteria 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 treated with common antibiotics. In the US, 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 meat bites or through contact with the tissue or body fluids of an infected animal, the CDC says.
The last known case of plague in California occurred in 2015 in two visitors to Yosemite National Park, the statement said. A number of factors may play a role in when and when cases of plague occur, including the behavior of humans as rodents, such as weather patterns, because warmer temperatures are conducive to flowering activity, Live Science reported earlier.
The most common type of plague in the US is known as bubonic plague, which causes fever, nausea, weakness, and swelling and painful lymph nodes (can be called buboes), says the CDC. This type of plague, which is not contagious, is usually caused by a meat bite.
Steps to prevent pest infestations include: preventing contact with wild rodents (including sick, injured or dead rodents); keep pets away from rodent resources; keep pets on one leg when outdoors; and wearing long pants and insect repellent to reduce glare exposure, the statement said.
Originally published on Live Science.
