After nearly 10 years without any cases of plague, California has seen two people contract the age-old illness already this summer. But what could be behind the sudden return of plague to the state?
Experts say it’s hard to know why there are more cases of plague in California this year than in recent years. A number of factors — including the behavior of people or rodents, or even the California drought — could play a role in the cases of this bacterial infection.
On Tuesday (Aug. 18), California officials announced that they were investigating a case of plague in a Georgia resident who visited Yosemite National Park this month. At this point, the patient is presumed to have the plague, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still conducting tests to confirm the illness.
In July, another visitor to Yosemite — a girl from Los Angeles County — was also diagnosed with plague after her visit to the park. The girl is recovering, health officials have said.
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