Authorities in South Lake Tahoe are posting signs warning of plague after a flea from a chipmunk in the area tested positive for the disease.
The California Department of Public Health on Wednesday said the flea was found on a rodent in the Fallen Leaf Campground.
This is not the first time plague, an infectious bacterial disease spread by wild rodents and fleas, has been found in Lake Tahoe. In 2015, plague activity was detected in the South Lake Tahoe region, including the nearby Tallac Historic Site.
The Department of Public Health is working with the U.S. Forest Service and El Dorado County health officials to ensure that campers are notified of the potential risks of plague exposure.
“Campers are being advised to avoid dead rodents and rodent burrows and to use repellent to prevent flea bites,” the Department of Public Health said in a statement. “Campers should avoid feeding chipmunks and other wild animals.”
The Department of Public Health is also conducting extensive surveillance at Fallen Leaf Campground to discover the level of plague transmission risk.
More information about plague, including a map indicating regions of California where plague has been detected has been posted on the Department of Public Health website.
