American Tests Positive For Bubonic Plague

An individual in the state of California has just tested positive for the plague, leading local health officials to suspect that he contracted the illness from a flea bite during a camping trip. Officials have urged residents in the Golden State to “take precautions” when they spend time outside following the infection.

The victim hails from South Lake Tahoe.

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County,” Kyle Fliflet, El Dorado County’s acting director of public health, went on to say in a statement.

“It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking and or camping in areas where wild rodents are present,” wrote Fliflet, according to the New York Post.

The plague is a type of bacteria that is usually carried by rodent species. It was first brought to the United States during the early part of the 20th Century by immigrants making their way to the country aboard rat-infested ships.

There are, according to the report, three different types of plague that this bacterium can cause. The plague becomes bubonic when the primary impact of the infection affects the lymph nodes. When it hits the bloodstream, it’s septicemic, and pneumonic when it impacts the lungs.

Most of the illness’s symptoms are similar to those of the common cold, and they typically take up to two weeks after contraction to become apparent. In the United States, there are typically seven cases recorded every year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vast majority of these cases are found in the western part of the country in states such as New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Humans normally contract the disease via bites from either an infected flea or rodent that is carrying the illness, or through improper handling of an infected animal.

Fortunately for us, the plague is not as fatal as it was when it caused the Black Death in England during the 14th century in England. Those who are infected are normally cured with basic antibiotics.

The last time America experienced an epidemic of the plague was in 1924 and 1925 in the city of Los Angeles. Since the year 2000, a total of 15 people have died from the illness in the U.S.

In the early part of July, an individual from Arizona contracted the plague and died from it, making them the first recorded fatality of the year. Local health officials pointed to a prairie dog die-off as the culprit for the infection.