4 Squirrels, Cat Infected With Plague

Prompted by the discovery of five animals with sylvatic plague, Los Angeles County health officials have temporarily closed a popular nature park near Pasadena and stepped up efforts to find and destroy infected animals.

Three infected squirrels were found in the Eaton Canyon Park north of Pasadena and a fourth infected squirrel at Table Mountain, an Angeles National Forest camping area near San Bernardino County.

The fifth animal--a 5-month-old kitten--was found roaming the Rancho Mirage mobile home park in Lancaster, where it was apparently fed by a resident before being turned over to a nearby animal shelter last month, county officials said. The cat is believed to have been destroyed.

Sylvatic plague, when transmitted to humans, is commonly known as bubonic plague, a bacterial infection that can be fatal if not treated, said Jonathan Fielding, director of public health and the county’s health officer.

But he said such occurrences are extremely rare and the last case of animal-to-human infection in Los Angeles County was reported in 1984.

“We don’t want to unduly alarm people,” Fielding said.

As a precaution, county officials closed Eaton Canyon Park on Tuesday for at least 10 days. County workers will set up 40 to 50 dust stations to kill fleas, which carry the plague among animals, and will exterminate 90% of the ground squirrels, which officials say are the most common carriers of the plague in the Los Angeles area.

Fielding said the measures were necessary because the park is heavily used by picnickers and hikers. It contains the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, which draws hundreds of children and adults on weekends and is home to dozens of nature organizations.

At Table Mountain, the discovery of the infected squirrel required no extraordinary measures because it coincided with the camping area’s normal annual closure, county officials said.

The Lancaster cat, however, has prompted additional concern because there have been no such cases among domesticated animals since the late 1980s, said Frank Hall, chief of the Department of Health Services’ vector management program. Vectors are animals or insects that can transmit disease to humans.

“We’re concerned about where this cat came from,” Hall said. “Did it have a previous owner?”

County health officials said they are investigating areas near the Lancaster trailer park, located in the 43800 block of 20th Street East, to determine the extent of the plague infestation. The woman who fed the cat showed no signs of bubonic plague, Hall said.

Residents of Rancho Mirage, home to about 275 trailer owners and their families, said Wednesday that they were shocked to learn about the plague-harboring cat.

“I don’t understand why we haven’t been told about it,” said Alice Adelman, who has lived in the park for more than two decades with her husband.

Tracy Bryant, the park’s resident manager, said the county only informed her Wednesday afternoon about the infected tabby. “The county is suppose to be coming out tomorrow. We’ll be informing all our residents about the cat,” Bryant said.

The latest sylvatic plague cases were discovered during a routine sampling of animals in shelters and wilderness areas by county health officers.

Bubonic plague, once known as the “Black Death,” is believed to have wiped out as much as a third of Europe’s population during the 14th century.

But with advances in preventive methods, only about 10 or 15 cases are now reported annually in the United States.

Still, county health officials are urging the public to take precautions.

People should stay away from wild or stray animals and use insect repellent against fleas, Hall said. Even healthy-looking animals can harbor the disease, and pet owners should try to keep their animals flea-free and indoors.