Child catches plague at Yosemite

He or she became ill after visiting Stanislaus National Forest and camping at Crane Flat Campground in Yosemite National Park in mid-July, state public health officials said Thursday.

Visitors at Yosemite National Park are being extra-cautious after a child caught the plague during a camping trip there last month. The infectious disease is carried by rodents, such as squirrels and chipmunks, and is spread by fleas. After an infected rodent becomes sick and dies, its fleas can carry the disease to other animals and humans. If not treated, plague can be fatal. Those reporting fever, chills, nausea, swollen lymph nodes, or other symptoms are urged to seek medical care right away and to take notes of where they were camping.

No other members of child’s family has reported any symptoms.

The last urban plague epidemic in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 through 1925, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 1970, 42 human instances of plague have been confirmed in California. “Plague is a very rare disease, ” said Dr Danielle Buttke, a health official for the National Park Service. “All things considered, there are many other common diseases you are much more likely to encounter than the plague”.

The disease is generally not transmitted between humans, unless the patient has a lung infection and is coughing.

Health experts advise individuals to avoid dead animals, to treat clothing with insect repellent when hiking, to prevent pets from roaming and to avoid sharing a bed with pets.

It’s the first case of the plague reported in California since 2006. The disease is treatable in its early stages with prompt diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment. State and local health officials regularly monitor plague-prone areas by testing animals and their fleas. Proximity to certain plant habitats endemic to the West, such those dominated by juniper and pine, also amp up plague risk.

A Los Angeles County baby is recovering from the after tenting with household in Northern California, state well being officers stated Thursday. In 2013, campgrounds in Angeles National Forest were closed after plague was detected in a ground squirrel, and several counties across California detected plague in 2014. Colorado health officials say three cats have tested positive for plague this year, although they are not known to have infected any people.