US News

California Resident Infected With Plague After Camping in Lake Tahoe

Health officials say an infected flea might have bitten the camper. The last reported case of human plague in El Dorado County was in 2020.
California Resident Infected With Plague After Camping in Lake Tahoe
A South Lake Tahoe resident contracted the plague after camping in the area, health officials said on Aug. 19, 2025. Jill McLaughlin/The Epoch Times
Jill McLaughlin
|Updated:
0:00
Health officials suspect an infected flea was responsible for spreading plague to a South Lake Tahoe resident, authorities announced on Aug. 19.

The victim tested positive for plague—the same disease responsible for the black death that killed 25 million Europeans in the Middle Ages.

Jill McLaughlin
Jill McLaughlin
Author
Jill McLaughlin is an award-winning journalist covering politics, environment, and statewide issues. She has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. Jill was born in Yosemite National Park and enjoys the majestic outdoors, traveling, golfing, and hiking.