California camper contracts rare plague at Lake Tahoe

A California resident has tested positive for the plague after likely being bitten by an infected flea during a camping trip in the South Lake Tahoe area, health officials confirmed this week. According to the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, the individual is recovering at home under medical supervision. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) notified local officials of the case, prompting an immediate investigation into the exposure.

“It’s believed that the person may have been bitten by an infected flea while camping in the South Lake Tahoe area,” the agency said in a statement.

The plague, caused by bacteria carried by rodents and transmitted through flea bites, is extremely rare in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports an average of seven human cases each year, mostly in western states such as New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Between 2021 and 2024, El Dorado County identified 41 rodents with evidence of plague exposure. So far in 2025, four plague-positive rodents have been detected in the Tahoe Basin. The last reported human case in El Dorado County occurred in 2020, also linked to South Lake Tahoe.

Symptoms of bubonic plague often include fever, chills, headache, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes. Without treatment, the infection can progress to septicemic plague, which can cause abdominal pain, bleeding, and even be life-threatening.

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher-elevation areas of El Dorado County,” said Kyle Fliflet, the county’s acting public health director. “It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking, or camping in areas where wild rodents are present.”

Health experts recommend avoiding contact with wild rodents, using insect repellent to protect against fleas, and keeping pets leashed and treated for fleas in outdoor areas. The last human cases of plague in California before 2020 were reported in 2015, when two people contracted the disease after visiting Yosemite National Park. Both recovered after treatment.