A child in Southern California has been hospitalized after contracting a rare case of plague that has been reported in the state after almost ten years, CBS reported.
It is reported that the child had camped at Crane Flat Campground in Yosemite National Park in mid-July, before he was diagnosed with the plague. No other member of the camping party has reported any symptoms. Officials are also taking an environmental evaluation of Stanislaus National Forest.
Human plague was last reported in California in 2005 and 2006 in Mono, Los Angeles and Kern counties.
"Although this is a rare disease, people should protect themselves from infection by avoiding any contact with wild rodents," State Health Officer Dr Karen Smith said in a statement, according to The Guardian. "Never feed squirrels, chipmunks, or other rodents in picnic or campground areas, and never touch sick or dead rodents."
Plague is a bacterial disease usually carried by wild rodents and their fleas. The infection can be carried to other animals or humans through fleas. Plague can be treated with antibiotics if detected early. However, without early treatment, plague can lead to serious complications or death.
In 2014, non-human cases of plague were detected in several counties in the state such as San Diego County and Santa Barbara County. Two people have died of plague in Colorado this summer.
