Chipmunk Tests Positive for Bubonic Plague
A dead chipmunk at Lake Tahoe has tested positive for bubonic plague. Authorities say it’s important to alert residents and visitors, but no reason for alarm.
Signs have been posted at beaches, trail heads and campgrounds warning people to avoid the rodents. The chipmunk was found last week near the Lake Tahoe Forest Service Visitors Center.
Plague is endemic in rodent populations in the West and has infected chipmunks and squirrels. It is a potentially fatal disease that can be transferred to humans. Huber said the fleas that carry the disease jump from one warm body to the next.
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