It seems as if 2020 is trying to imprint itself as the worst year in a generation or so – as if a global pandemic of a scale only seen 100 years ago was not enough, a California resident has tested positive for the bubonic plague.
It is the first of such instance in five years.
State health officials disclosed that the individual likely contracted the bacteria as he or she was walking his or her pet dog in South Lake Tahoe. It seems that the individual was bitten by a flea that was carrying the bacteria, which is a common way for the virus to spread.
Officials did not reveal the name, gender, age or any other personal details related to the individual who contracted the plague. They simply announced that after receiving treatment from medical personnel, the individual is recovering from his or her home.
The common symptoms of the plague include fever, general weakness and nausea. Because the symptoms take somewhere between 3 ~ 7 days to appear, it can be easily mistaken for a common cold or even Covid-19. Early treatment with antibiotics is an easy yet critical treatment.
The discovery of antibiotics have greatly reduced the lethality of the plague, given that it is treated at an early stage. However, the disease itself is still very much dangerous – the World Health Organization says that the mortality rates can rise to 40% ~ 100% if not treated.
While the average outbreak of the plague is far from common with 7 outbreaks or so each year, certain regions in the US see much more cases than others. El Dorado County, where the individual contracted the disease, is one of those higher-risk regions.
One expert said that the bacteria and its hosts such as fleas are naturally present in certain areas of California, and thus urged people to be careful when they are outside.
Areas in which wild rodents are likely to frolic are of the highest risk. In a 4 year research that began in 2016, health officials identified at least 20 rodents that were carrying the plague bacteria.
Less than two weeks ago, a young man in his 20s passed away from the virus in nearby New Mexico. It was the second case of the plague that was reported in the state this year.
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