Plague case confirmed in California: What to know about symptoms and transmission
A case of the plague has been confirmed in California. Transmitted by fleas, it’s treatable but dangerous—prompt antibiotic care is key to survival.
A well-studied but now rare disease has resurfaced in the U.S.The plague has been detected in California, with health officials saying the individual was most likely infected after being bitten by a flea in South Lake Tahoe.
The plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and has several variants, including the bubonic plague, which killed millions during the Middle Ages as it swept through Europe, Asia, and Africa, causing devastating pandemics that reshaped history. Historically, plagues—especially the bubonic form—thrived in rodent populations, particularly rats. Humans became infected when bitten by fleas that had fed on infected animals. Transmission also occurred through contact with tissues or fluids from infected animals or by inhaling respiratory droplets from individuals with pneumonic plague.
Officials in El Dorado County, where the infected resident lives, noted that the bacteria are “naturally present in many parts of California.” Kyle Fliflet, the county’s acting director of public health, warned that due to this presence, residents should take precautions to protect themselves and their pets. “...especially while walking, hiking, or camping in areas where wild rodents are present,” Fliflet said.
What are the symptoms of the plague?
According to the CDC, the symptoms vary depending on how the patient contracted the disease.
Bubonic plague:
- Fever
- Headache
- Chills,
- Weakness
- One or more swollen, painful lymph nodes (called buboes).
Septicemic plague:
- Fever
- Chills
- Extreme weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Shock
- Bleeding into the skin and other organs.
Pneumonic plague:
- Fever
- Headache
- Weakness
- Rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery mucous.
The CDC says the Bubonic plague takes between 2 and 8 days to incubate, and antibiotics are necessary to combat the disease. On the other hand, Septicemic plague can either “occur as the first symptom of plague or may develop from untreated bubonic plague,” says the CDC. Lastly, if the plague goes untreated and the bacteria make their way into the lungs, the patient can develop Pneumonic plague. This type of disease can also be transmitted from person to person and has a very quick incubation period.
How is the plague treated?
Prompt treatment with antibiotics is essential to prevent severe complications. Commonly prescribed antibiotics include streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, and ciprofloxacin. Without treatment, the disease can progress to more serious forms—septicemic or pneumonic plague—which carry higher mortality rates.
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