Hikers, Campers Warned on Bubonic Plague
Authorities warned hikers and campers Tuesday that two squirrels carrying bubonic plague had been found in a Southern California wilderness area.
Moise Mizrahi, a spokesman for the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, said crews are posting signs and handing out fliers after routine tests on squirrels at William Heise County Park in southeastern California determined that they were infected.
The plague, a bacterial infection, can be transmitted from rodent fleas to animals and then to humans and is potentially deadly if not treated, he said.
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