California health officials have confirmed that a South Lake Tahoe resident has contracted plague, marking El Dorado County’s first human case since 2020. The patient is receiving antibiotic treatment and is recovering at home, the county’s Public Health Division said Tuesday. An initial investigation indicates the individual was probably bitten by an infected flea while camping in the Lake Tahoe area. Plague is endemic in parts of California’s higher elevations; state surveillance has identified four plague-positive rodents in the county so far this year and 41 between 2021 and 2024. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records an average of seven human infections annually. Officials describe the risk of person-to-person spread as low but urge residents and visitors to take precautions, including avoiding contact with wild rodents, using insect repellent, and keeping pets on flea control. Early symptoms—fever, weakness and swollen lymph nodes—should prompt immediate medical attention, as the disease is treatable with antibiotics when caught quickly.