Squirrel near Lake Tahoe tests positive for plague

Health officials warned people to stay away from wild rodents who might be carrying the bacteria.

El Dorado County worker Karen Bender says plague is of course current elements of California.

Authorities said they are not aware of any human contact with the squirrel.

The California ground squirrel was found dead August. 17 at the Kiva picnic area near the Tallac Historic Site in South Lake Tahoe, according to the El Dorado County Environmental Management Division. They have since made a full recovery.

LOS ANGELES A squirrel discovered lifeless at Lake Tahoe final month has examined positive for the plague, well being officers stated, marking the newest incidence of the illness in California that pressured the momentary closure of two Yosemite National Park campgrounds.

California Department of Public Health routinely monitors rodent populations for plague activity in California and closely coordinates with county health officials. The traveler had been hiking in the park, the Sierra National Forest and surrounding areas.

The corpse of a squirrel found near the popular California vacation spot Lake Tahoe has tested positive for plague.

Rodent burrows at the campgrounds were dusted with a flea insecticide to kill any remnants of plague. Both people were treated and recovered, health officials said. But health officials don’t know what is causing the outbreak. Humans can contract the disease through flea bites or close contact with an infected animal. The disease can be treated with antibiotics if detected early enough.

Symptoms include fever, nausea weakness and swollen lymph nodes, which usually show up within two weeks after infection.

The US Centers for Disease Control says the plague was introduced to the United States in 1900 by rat-infested steamships that had sailed from affected areas, mostly in Asia. If left untreated, it can be fatal.