If you had the Black Death or bubonic plague on your 2020 bingo card, you can click this space now.
A resident of South Lake Tahoe has tested positive for the human plague, the first case in California in five years.
The person, “an adventurous walker,” may have been bitten by an infected meat while walking her dog along the Truckee River in the Tahoe Keys area, according to El Dorado health officials.
Plague is transmitted by flies, which get the bacteria from squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents.
The disease has historically caused epidemics, killing millions. One-third of Europe’s population died in the 14th century from the plague, or “Black Death.”
The plague came to the United States in 1900 from rat-infected ships. The last major epidemic in the country occurred in Los Angeles from 1924-1925.
An average of seven human plague cases are reported each year in the country, mostly in the Southwest. The vast majority are the bubonic form of the plague, although there is also septicemic plague and pneumonic plague.
Plague is now treated with antibiotics, but it can be fatal without treatment.
“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including elevated areas of El Dorado County,” said Dr. Nancy Williams, the state’s public health officer. “It is important that individuals take precautionary measures for themselves and their pets when they are outside, 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. “
Symptoms include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes, which often appear within two weeks of exposure to an infected animal such as meat.
The last cases of plague in California were in 2015, with two people infected in Yosemite National Park. These were the first cases since 2006.
Health officials regularly check animals for pests. From 2016 to 2019, El Dorado County identified 20 animals with the plague – all in the South Lake Tahoe area.
Officials do not recommend feeding squirrels or chipmunks, wearing long pants to reduce exposure to fleas, and protecting pets with float medications, including cats, which are highly susceptible to the plague and can pass it on to their owners.
Jill Tucker is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jilltucker
