A person tested positive for plague after a possible flea bite while camping in the South Lake Tahoe area and is recovering at home under medical care. An investigation into the infection circumstances is underway. Plague is naturally present in parts of California, including higher elevations of El Dorado County. The bacterium Yersinia pestis is typically spread by fleas that have fed on infected wild rodents, and pets can carry infected fleas into homes. Symptoms commonly appear within two weeks and include fever, nausea, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes. If detected early, plague is treatable with antibiotics. Human cases are rare but can be serious; surveillance found 41 exposed rodents in 2021–2024.
Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is typically spread by fleas that have fed on infected wild rodents such as squirrels and chipmunks, health officials said. Pets, particularly cats and dogs, can also carry plague-infected fleas into the home. Symptoms of plague generally appear within two weeks of exposure and may include fever, nausea, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes. If detected early, the illness is treatable with antibiotics.
Although human cases of plague are extremely rare, they can be serious. El Dorado County said this is its first reported human case since 2020. Prior to that, the last confirmed cases in California were in 2015, involving two people exposed in Yosemite National Park. All previous patients recovered after receiving treatment. Surveillance conducted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and local health agencies between 2021 and 2024 identified 41 rodents in El Dorado County that had been exposed to plague.
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