The State : Rodent With Plague Found

A dead chipmunk infected with bubonic plague was found in the Meyers area of the Tahoe Basin, El Dorado County entomologist Glenn Bissell said. Three other rodent carcasses discovered in the area are being examined by his office to determine if they also carry the contagious and potentially fatal disease, which is transmitted by fleas. As a result, Bissell has issued a plague warning in the Tahoe Basin and has recommended that people and their pets avoid wildlife in the area. The infected chipmunk is the first plague-carrying rodent found in California this year, he added.