A human case of plague was confirmed in California this week, marking the first time such a specimen has occurred in the Golden State in five years.
El Dorado County health officials on Monday announced the case, reporting in a South Lake Tahoe resident who “is currently under the care of a medical professional and has been repaired at home,” according to an El Dorado press release. County.
NEW MEXICO MAN DIES OF PLAGUE: STATE OFFICIALS
Officials said the person – an “eternal walker” – may have contracted the disease from an infected flower, and sustained a bite while walking her dog “along the Truckee River Corridor north of Highway 50 or the Tahoe Keys area in South Lake Tahoe . “
“Health officials are investigating the situation,” officials said in the release.
Officials said the person – an “eternal walker” – may have contracted the disease from an infected flower, and sustained a bite while walking her dog “along the Truckee River Corridor north of Highway 50 or the Tahoe Keys area in South Lake Tahoe . ”
(iStock)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic as the most common clinical forms of plague. Septicemic plague “may occur as the first symptom of plague, or may arise from untreated bubonic plague. This form results from the bite of infected meat or from the treatment of an infected animal, ”per CDC.
Symptoms often include fever, chills, extreme weakness, abdominal pain, shock and “possible bleeding in the skin and other organs,” states the federal agency, adding that “skin and other tissues can turn black and die, especially on fingers,” toes and nose. ”
Certain antibiotics are often used to treat the disease.
“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher altitude areas of El Dorado County. It is important that individuals take precautionary measures for themselves and their pets when they are outdoors, especially if you are walking, hiking and / or camping in. areas where wild rodents are present Human cases of plague are extremely rare, but can be very serious, “said El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams in a statement.
COLORADO SEES FIRST HUMAN PLAGUE SCENE SIN 2015: OFFICIALS
The case marks the first since 2015, when two people were infected after exposure to infected rodents like their bats in Yosemite National Park, officials said. Both were treated and recovered. Currently, those cases marked the first in the state since 2006, according to the release.
