Rare Plague Case Confirmed in California
Health officials in California have confirmed a rare case of bubonic plague in a South Lake Tahoe resident—the first human infection reported in the area since 2020. According to El Dorado County authorities, the individual is recovering at home and is believed to have contracted the illness from a flea bite while camping in the Tahoe region, NBC News reports.
While investigations are ongoing, officials stress that human plague cases remain extremely rare. The last confirmed case in California occurred in 2020 and was the first since 2015, when two people were infected in Yosemite National Park, according to CBS News.
Bubonic plague, a bacterial disease once responsible for historic pandemics, is typically transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas—often those that have fed on wild rodents such as squirrels or chipmunks. Domestic pets can also carry infected fleas into homes. Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes, usually appearing within two weeks of exposure. The disease is treatable with antibiotics if caught early.
State health authorities have been monitoring local wildlife closely. From 2021 to 2024, tests confirmed plague exposure in 41 rodents in the region. So far in 2025, four additional rodents in the Tahoe Basin have tested positive for the bacteria.
Kyle Fliflet, acting public health director for El Dorado County, urged residents and visitors to stay alert when outdoors, particularly in areas where wild rodents are common. He advised the public to avoid contact with live or dead rodents, refrain from camping near animal remains, wear protective clothing, and use insect repellent.
The case follows a recent fatal infection from a rare form of plague reported in Arizona last month.
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