Overview

• The El Dorado County health department confirmed a single human infection with Yersinia pestis in the South Lake Tahoe area.
• Investigators report the most likely exposure was an infected flea encountered while camping, with the source inquiry ongoing.
• The patient is being treated at home under medical monitoring, and authorities report no evidence of wider transmission.
• Routine surveillance detected plague activity in local wildlife, with 41 exposed rodents identified from 2021 to 2024 and four additional positives this year in the Tahoe Basin.
• U.S. human cases remain uncommon—about seven annually, according to the CDC—prompting guidance to avoid contact with wild rodents and use flea control for pets when outdoors.