Second plague case confirmed in Yosemite National Park

For the second time this year, a human in Yosemite National Park could have become infected with the plague virus
In Yosemite, California, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the US, for the second time this year, a tourist may have been infected with the causative agent of the plague. This informs the public health office. Thus, it was very likely a rodent of the disease.

Rodents in Yosemite National Park could be carriers of the plague
The patient was reported to be a tourist from the US state of Georgia, with the first symptoms of plague, including having been in the Yosemite Valley at the beginning of August. The public health department did not provide any information about the health status of the patient. Although it can not be ruled out with certainty that the tourist has been infected with the plague pathogen elsewhere, he is aware that another plague case for the national park is the source of the infection. The disease was recently diagnosed by a Los Angeles student after she was in the National Park. The girl was treated promptly and is currently recovering from the infection.

In Yosemite National Park, the plague was again detected. (Image: decade3d / fotolia.com)

The main vectors of the plague are fleas that live in the coat of rodents such as squirrels and chipmunks. After the infection became public, the campsite where the girl had spent the night was closed and disinfected. Another campsite also had to be temporarily closed because it found two dead squirrels carrying the highly contagious pest. The Yosemite National Park is visited by around four million people every year.

Between one and 17 people fall ill each year in the US at the plague
While Europe and Australia are considered to be free of pest-infected animals, outbreaks occur, especially in Africa. Madagascar and the Congo are hardest hit, but in Peru, the epidemic flickers again and again.

Every year, between one and 17 people in the United States suffer from the plague. The two current cases are the first in California since 2006.

If the disease is treated in time with antibiotics, the chances of recovery are good. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if left untreated, the plague will kill 30 to 60 percent of the time. Around 2,000 people worldwide contract the infectious disease each year. (Ag)