Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, historically caused massive mortality such as the 14th-century Black Death that killed up to half of Europe's population. The disease still exists in animal reservoirs, particularly small mammals and rodents, and produces three clinical forms: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. Human cases are rare but occur annually and are often linked to flea or rodent exposure during outdoor activities like camping. Recent cases in El Dorado County and earlier reports in Yosemite highlight ongoing risk. Medical advances have rendered plague treatable, but the bacterium has not been eradicated.
Most people associate the term "plague" with the massive and destructive event that killed 25 million Europeans in the Middle Ages, said professor John Swartzberg of UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. In the 14th century, the plague killed as much as 50% of Europe's population. "The plague is really a specific disease that has ... in our human history [reared] its ugly head and caused massive deaths," said Swartzberg, who works in the university's Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology division.
In the recent case of the South Lake Tahoe resident, it's believed the person contracted the rare disease after being bitten by an infected flea while camping in the area, according to El Dorado County health officials. The most recent case before this one was reported in El Dorado County in 2020 and also was believed to have been transmitted in the same area, officials said. Two plague cases were reported in California in 2015, suspected to have been caused by bites from an infected flea or rodent in Yosemite National Park.
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