YOSEMITE (KMJ) — A child from Los Angeles county is now recovering after contracting the plague while visiting the valley.
The child first visited Stanislaus National Forest and then Yosemite National Park mid-July and was later diagnosed with the illness.
It’s the same plague that spread throughout Europe in the 14th Century, but modern science means it’s now very treatable.
“It’s now present in rodents throughout the United States, but fortunately it’s very rare”, says Dr Danielle Buttke from the US Public Health Service at Yosemite National Park.
“Plague is a readily preventable disease and we encourage people to give wildlife their space, wear insect repellant, and we’re still open and welcoming visitors”.
It spreads through the bite of an infected flea and symptoms can show themselves up to six days after exposure.
It looks like the flu, but the telltale sign is a swelling at the insect bite or swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, or groin.
The California Department of Public Health say there are simple steps you can take to reduce exposure:
- Never feed squirrels, chipmunks or other rodents and never touch sick or dead rodents
- Avoid walking, hiking or camping near rodent burrows
- Wear long pants tucked into socks or boot tops to reduce exposure to fleas
- Spray insect repellent containing DEET on socks and pant cuffs to reduce exposure to fleas
- Keep wild rodents out of homes, trailers, and outbuildings and away from pets.
The disease is an infectious bacterial disease that can be carried by squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents and their fleas. When one of them becomes sick and dies, its fleas can carry the infection to other warm-blooded animals or humans spreading it ever further. But fears that it could spread between people are low.
“It’s very rare for it to be contracted human to human”, continues Dr. Buttke. “That only occurs when you’re at the later stages of the disease and it spreads to your lungs. The last known confirmed human to human spread was in 1924”.
Plague infected animals are most likely found in the foothills and mountains, and sometimes around the coast too. Desert parts of the state and the Central Valley are considered low risk.
KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew spoke to two experts from the California Department of Public Health – Chief of the Vector-Borne Diseases Section Vicki Kramer and Chief of the Infected Diseases Branch Duc Vugia – to find out more about the disease.
You can listen to the interview below:
