A woman has come down with the first case of bubonic plague in L.A. County since 1984, KNBC reports:
The woman, who has not been identified, came down with symptoms last week and remains hospitalized.
Health officials said they believe the woman was exposed to fleas in the area around her house, although an investigation is continuing.
Public health workers set out traps Tuesday to catch squirrels and other wild animals in the area near her home. County Public Health Laboratory workers will test blood from those animals to determine if there has been any exposure to the plague bacteria.
"Bubonic plague is not usually transmissible from person to person," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, head of public health. "Fortunately, human plague infection is rare in urban environments, and this single case should not be a cause for alarm in the area where this occurred."
Bubonic plague is found in ground squirrels around Tehachapi, Lake Isabella, Frazier Park and in the Angeles National Forest between Los Angeles and the Antelope Valley.
Plague is common among wild animals in certain areas but is seldom spread to humans, according to health officials.
"Plague is characterized by fever, muscle aches, nausea, headache, sore throat, fatigue and swollen, tender lymph nodes associated with the arm or leg that has flea bites and is treatable with antibiotics," said Dr. Rosham Reporter of the Acute Communicable Disease Control Program.
Kickin' it 13th century style in L.A.!
No comments:
Post a Comment