The deadly bacterium that causes the plague has been in different animals in different parts of North America in the past week.
In the Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, parks officials are warning the public of the finding of dead plague infected prairie dog.
And in the Sierra Nevada, an unspecified rodent was found in the Plumas Eureka State Park which also tested positive for plague.
What is plague?
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It is found in animals throughout the world, most commonly rats but other rodents like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, rabbits and voles. Fleas typically serve as the vector of plague.
Human cases have been linked to the domestic cats and dogs that brought infected fleas into the house.
People can also get infected through direct contact with an infected animal, through inhalation and in the case of pneumonic plague, person to person.
What can you do to protect your cat or dog from getting the plague?
If you must take your pet to an area like the two described above, don’t let your pet go near sick or dead rodents or to explore burrows.
You can also consult your vet about flea treatments and repellents.
What are the symptoms of plague in a pet cat/dog?
Some localized swelling like under the jaw in cats or in the armpit area of your pet. Tiredness, fever and anorexia may also be present. Consult your vet.
Though extremely rare, transmission of plague is certainly possible. What can you do to prevent catching the plague while camping in parks like Grasslands or Plumas?
Avoid contact with rodents and their fleas, dead or alive.
Do not sleep or camp near animal burrows.
Wear long pants tucked into your boots and using insect repellent to reduce exposure to fleas.
For more stories on the plague:
What is the difference between bubonic and pneumonic plague?
Chinese man dies from the bubonic plague
The plague found in California pet cat
Another case of plague infected pets found in New Mexico
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