A South Lake Tahoe, California, resident tested positive for plague, the El Dorado County Department of Public Health said this week.
County health officials said in a press release that the patient could have contracted plague after being bitten by an infected flea while camping in the local area.
The case is the first time an El Dorado County resident has come down with the plague since 2020.
“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County. 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,” El Dorado County Acting Director of Public Health Kyle Fliflet said.
According to county health officials, the plague-infected person, who was not named, is recovering at home under the care of a medical professional.
Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. The bacteria first infects fleas, which then bite rodents, dogs, cats, other animals or people, thereby transmitting the disease, county health officials said.
Animals and other humans can also spread plague to people via infected droplets.
The El Dorado County Department of Public Health said that four rodents in the Lake Tahoe Basin have tested positive for plague so far in 2025.
Symptoms of plague show up within two weeks of exposure and include weakness, nausea, fever and swollen lymph nodes, also known as buboes, from which we get the term bubonic plague.
In addition to lymph node infections, there is also pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs, and septicemic plague in the bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A person in Arizona died of pneumonic plague last month.
