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Fleas test positive for the plague in Arizona

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - 8/14/2017

Aug. 14--Fleas have tested positive for the plague in at least two Arizona counties.

Fleas carrying the disease were detected last week in Navajo county, according to a report by ABC News . The first case was first reported a week earlier after Coconino County officials found plague-infected fleas on local prairie dogs.

"Navajo County Health Department is urging the public to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure to this serious disease, which can be present in fleas, rodents, rabbits and predators that feed upon these animals," a public health warning states. "The disease can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected flea or by direct contact with an infected animal."

Officials also urged persons living, working, camping or visiting in these areas to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure, including avoiding sick or dead animals, keeping pets from roaming loose, and avoiding rodent burrows and fleas.

Symptoms of plague include fever, headache, chills, and weakness and swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If untreated, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body.

The plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Studies indicated that plague outbreaks in the southwestern United States sometimes occur during cooler summers that follow wet winters, the CDC said.

Bubonic plague killed around 100 million people during the 14th century and was called the "Black Death."

Ben Schmitt is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7991, bschmitt@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @Bencschmitt.

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