“California resident tests positive for plague, first time in 5 years - TheGrio” plus 1 more

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California resident tests positive for plague, first time in 5 years - TheGrio Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:21 PM PDT Nurse tends to a recovering patient (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) In California, a resident has received an official diagnosis of plague for the first time in the state in five years. Read More: Colorado squirrel tests positive for Bubonic plague An official release from the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency confirms a Lake Tahoe resident has tested positive for plague recently. Health officials suspect the person, whose identity is undisclosed, contracted the disease on a walk. According to the statement, they were potentially bit by an infected flea while walking their dog along the Truckee River Corridor. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) "Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County," writes Dr. Nancy WIlliams who is the El Dorado County Public Health Officer. "It's important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking, and/or camping in areas where wild rodents are present.  Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious." According to El Dorado County, from 2016 to 2019, officials found a total of 20 squirrels and chipmunks with evidence of exposure to the plague bacterium. In 2015, two human cases were confirmed in Yosemite National Park. Read More: Bubonic plague cases confirmed in China The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports most human cases of plague in the United States are typically in northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada. Transmission of plague bacteria can happen in multiple ways, resulting in different types of the illness. According to the CDC, contraction from flea bites typically results in bubonic plague or septicemic plague. Contact with contaminated fluid or tissue often results in the bubonic or septicemic plague as well. Infectious droplets from humans with plague pneumonia can cause pneumonic plague. El Dorado County informs residents that plague can be prevented by "avoiding contact with wild rodents, and by keeping pets away from rodent burrows." This includes not feeding squirrels, not touching dead animals, keeping pets away from dead rodents, camping away from animal burrows, wearing long pants tucked into boots, and wearing long pants tucked into boot tops. People should also use insect repellent containing DEET. Symptoms of infection include include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes. The disease can be treated with antibiotics if caught early. Have you subscribed to theGrio's podcast "Dear Culture"? Download our newest episodes now! Loading the player... Share:

China seals off village after Bubonic plague death: Is 'Black Death' back? All you need to know - DNA India Posted: 08 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT Authorities in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region sealed off a village after a resident died of Bubonic plague, a centuries-old disease that caused a major outbreak in 2009. It is the second death due to the plague this week. The victim from Bayannur city died of multiple organ failure and was diagnosed as infected with the bubonic plague. Seven close contacts of the victim have been placed under medical observation after all of them tested negative for the plague. The area where the victim lived has also been sealed off. To curb the spread of the disease, the Damao Banner district where the village, Suji Xincun, is located, has been put on level 3 alert for plague prevention till the end of this year. Level III is the second-lowest in a four-level system. On Thursday, another city in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Baotou, also issued a level III warning after reporting one plague fatality. What is plague? Plague is an infectious disease, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria usually found in small mammals and their fleas. People can contract plague if they are bitten by infected fleas, and can develop the bubonic form of plague. Sometimes bubonic plague progresses to pneumonic plague when the bacteria reach the lungs. Common antibiotics are efficient to cure plague, only if they are given at an early stage. Plague can be a very severe disease in people, with a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 60% for the bubonic type, and is always fatal for the pneumonic kind when left untreated. Is person-to-person transmission possible? Person-to-person transmission is possible through the inhalation of infected respiratory droplets of a person who has pneumonic plague. Types of plague There are two main forms of plague infection, depending on the route of infection. 1. Bubonic plague It is the most common form of plague globally and is caused by the bite of an infected flea. Human to human transmission of bubonic plague is rare, reports WHO. However, it can advance and spread to the lungs, which is the more severe type of plague called Pneumonic plague. 2. Pneumonic plague (lung-based plague) It is the most virulent form of plague. Incubation can be as short as 24 hours. Any person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease via droplets to other humans. Untreated pneumonic plague can be fatal. However, recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time (within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms). Symptoms of bubonic plague Symptoms include fever, chills, head and body aches and weakness, vomiting, and nausea. Painful and inflamed lymph nodes can also appear during bubonic plague. Prevention and treatment To prevent bubonic plague, avoid touching dead animals, and wear insect repellent while in plague endemic areas. Plague can be treated with antibiotics, and recovery is common if treatment starts early. In plague-outbreak areas, people with symptoms should go to a health centre for evaluation and treatment. Currently, the three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru. The plague that caused 50 million deaths in 14th century China has largely eradicated the plague, but occasional cases still occur. The country has reported 26 cases and 11 deaths from 2009 to 2018. Historically, plague was responsible for widespread pandemics with high mortality. It was known as the "Black Death" during the fourteenth century, causing more than 50 million deaths in Europe.

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