Fleas test positive for plague in Flagstaff, area closed for monitoring

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) officials confirmed that fleas collected near County Club Drive south of Soliere Avenue have tested positive for plague (Yersinia pestis).

The tests were conducted by the Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University.

Signs have been posted by CCPHSD in the infected area and burrows have been treated. The area will be closely monitored to determine if further action is required.

This is the fourth location within Coconino County where fleas have tested positive for plague this year. The disease is endemic in Coconino County and there are likely additional locations with infected fleas. CCPHSD Environmental Health staff will continue to collect and test flea samples from locations throughout the county.

CCPHSD 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 sometimes predators that feed upon these animals. 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. To limit possible exposure, people are encouraged to avoid rodent burrows and keep dogs on a leash as required by Arizona State law.

An abundance of active prairie dogs does not indicate that disease is present. However, a sudden reduction in the rodent population, such as prairie dogs and mice, may be an indicator of plague. Persons noticing a sudden die-off of rodents or rabbits are urged to contact CCPHSD Environmental Services at (928) 679-8750.

Symptoms of plague in humans generally appear within two to six days following exposure and include the following: fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle pain and swollen lymph glands (called "buboes") in the groin, armpits or limbs. The disease can become septicemic (spreading throughout the bloodstream) and/or pneumonic (affecting the lungs), but is curable with proper antibiotic therapy if diagnosed and treated early.

People living, working, camping or visiting in areas where plague and/or rodents are known to be present are urged to take the precautions to reduce their risk of exposure:

In case of illness see your physician immediately as treatment with antibiotics is very effective.

More information is available at https://www.cdc.gov/plague/.

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