A California resident was diagnosed with the plague, likely getting it from an infected flea

• A South Lake Tahoe resident was out walking their dog when they were bitten by a plague-infected flea.
• El Dorado County health officials said the person is recovering at home under medical supervision.
• This is California's first human plague case in five years.
• Fleas most often spread the diseases after picking up the plague bacteria from infected chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents.

A person in Northern California has tested positive for the plague, marking the state's first case in five years, according to local health officials.

The South Lake Tahoe resident, who hasn't been publicly identified, likely picked up the illness after being bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog, El Dorado County health officials announced in a news release.

The case is under investigation while the patient is receiving medical care and recovering at home.

Plague bacteria are most often spread by fleas that pick up the disease from infected chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents. Dogs and cats can also carry these infected fleas, officials said.

"Plague is naturally present in many parts of California," El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams said in the news release.

She urged people to take care of themselves and their pets "especially while walking, hiking and/or camping in areas where wild rodents are present," adding, "Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious."

Fever, nausea, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes are some symptoms of the plague, which, with early detection, can be treated by antibiotics.

At least 20 plague-infected rodents have been found in El Dorado County between 2016 and 2019, according to officials with the California Department of Public Health.

The most recent human cases occurred in two people who picked up the disease in Yosemite National Park in 2015. Before that, the only human cases of the plague occurred in 2006, officials added.