Some Areas of Lake Tahoe Closed After Chipmunks Test Positive for Plague

Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe

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Select areas on Lake Tahoe's south shore have been closed to the public after some chipmunks in the area tested positive for plague.

Over the weekend, area officials announced that the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Kiva Beach, as well as their parking areas, will be closed through Friday, according to The Tahoe Daily Tribune.

The Tallac Historic Site and the Kiva picnic parking area will remain open, however, while visitor center staff and volunteers will be situated at the Tallac Site.

Citing El Dorado County spokesperson Carla Hass, the outlet said that the positive test results were found in chipmunks that had no prior human contact.

Forest Service officials now expect the areas to reopen by the weekend, saying "vector control will complete its eradication treatments" by Thursday.

RELATED: 10-Year-Old Girl Dies from Plague in Colorado

chipmunk
chipmunk

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According to the El Dorado County Public Health, plague is naturally present in certain parts of California.

"It's important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking or camping in areas where wild rodents are present," Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams said last year in a press release when an individual contracted the plague, per The Tahoe Daily Tribune.

"Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious," she added at the time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can get plague through bites of infected fleas or by touching or skinning infected animals. Though the disease is rare, it is treatable through antibiotics if caught early.

Last month, a 10-year-old girl died in La Plata, Colorado from the plague — the state's first death from the disease in six years.