La Plata may be just a regular American county from the state of Colorado, but now a sample of fleas found in the south-central area reveals the presence of plague. Officials with San Juan Basin Public Health bring the terrible news after laboratory testing.
Thanks to The Durango Herald publication, we have the news of the plague-carrying fleas, and the insects were sent to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Public Health Laboratory for testing. It’s all part of an epidemiological investigation of CDPHE that’s linked to the death of a 10-year-old child from La Plata County earlier this month.
Precautions are practically mandatory
Both SJBPH and CDPHE are addressing residents near the area where the fleas carrying plague were found, encouraging them to take precautions.
Liane Jollon, who is executive director of SJBPH, declared as quoted by The Durango Herald:
With a local sample of fleas testing positive for plague, it’s critical residents protect themselves. The community near the location of the positive sample is being notified directly, but all residents in La Plata and Archuleta counties should be on alert and take steps to control the presence of fleas and wildlife around homes.
According to the San Juan Basin Public Health, there are plenty of precautious methods that people can take against the plague, and here are some of them:
• Avoid touching dead or sick animals.
• Avoid sleeping near pets.
• Stay away from areas where wild rodents live.
• Contact a veterinarian if the pet develops a high fever or an abscess.
• Vaccinate pets and give them flea collars.
• Treat rodent sites around the home with flea powder or insecticide.
• See a physician if you develop a high fever or swollen lymph nodes.
The list is even longer, and luckily enough, there are a lot of methods to keep both yourself and your pets safe and healthy!
