Plague upon campers

State health officials have confirmed the second recent case of human plague, this time contracted by a visitor from Georgia who vacationed at Yosemite National Park and the Sierra National Forest in early August.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after the California Department of Public Health confirmed that a child who camped at Yosemite had the disease. Plague is carried by rodents, such as squirrels and chipmunks, and their fleas, which can transmit the infection to humans, according to a CDPH press release. The presence of rodent-borne plague has been detected at two campgrounds in Yosemite, but the “risk to humans remains low,” the release states.

Upon returning to Georgia, the most recently infected visitor received prompt medical attention and has recovered from the illness.