Chipmunks test positive for plague closing section of Lake Tahoe

Officials have carried out treatments to try and eradicate the disease from the area

Lake Tahoe is a freshwater alpine lake located in the Sierra Nevada (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A section of Lake Tahoe, in California, has been closed after chipmunks in the area tested positive for plague.

Officials closed sections on the south shore of the lake including the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, Kiva Beach and their respective parking areas on Friday, August 2 following the discovery.

While closed, the U.S. Forest Service conducted vector control treatments to try and eradicate the disease.

El Dorado County spokeswoman Carla Hass said the chipmunks that were tested had no contact with any people.

The Lake Tahoe closures include some of the Sierra Nevada’s most scenic hiking routes which take walkers through stunning forest paths down to the shores of the lake.

According to El Dorado County Public Health, plague is naturally present in many parts of California and visitors to the area are advised to be cautious around animals that can carry it.

It can be carried and spread by squirrels, chipmunks, other wild rodents and their fleas. Humans can become infected through close contact with animals carrying the disease or being bitten by an infected flea.

In humans, symptoms can show up within two weeks of exposure to an infected animal. Symptoms include fever, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes. If caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics.

Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Kiva Beach are closed today and tomorrow for vector control treatments to control fleas infected with plague. For public safety, please avoid the area. Follow plague warning sign tips and learn more about precautions at https://t.co/XZL3QH9FXX. pic.twitter.com/DsLQdtGetu

— Lake Tahoe USFS (@LakeTahoeUSFS) August 5, 2021

Lisa Herron, a public affairs specialist for the UIS Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe basin management unit which runs the affected facilities said plague was something visitors to the area should be aware of but that it was “not something that they need to worry about.”

She said the agency’s work in the area would not target the local chipmunk population but rather their fleas. She said the vector control team would dust burrows with a powder after which a round of trapping and testing would take place.

Human cases of plague are rare. In 2020 a walker in the region tested positive becoming the first case in five years.

The US Forest Service said it hoped to complete its eradication treatments on Thursday August 5, enabling the closed areas to reopen in time for the weekend.