Dead prairie dogs test positive for plague

Staff Reports

Four prairie dogs found dead on the Pawnee National Grasslands northeast of Greeley have tested positive for plague, according to the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment.

To date, there have been 43 positive cases of plague in animals documented in Colorado. No human cases have been reported in 2006 in Colorado.

"Plague is most commonly found in the prairie dog populations in the grassland areas of Weld County. People need to take precautions from being bitten by fleas when walking out in the grasslands," said Sara Evans, Environmental Health Manager at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment.

Evans suggests that people:

« Use insect repellent particularly on the lower legs and ankles

« Treat pets for fleas

« Avoid any contact with rodents

Cats are of particular concern because they can become severely ill and transmit the disease directly to humans.

Cats infected with plague will look extremely ill, run a high fever, become lethargic and may have swelling around the face and neck or abscesses draining blood and pus. Any cat with these symptoms should be isolated from other animals and people and examined by a veterinarian immediately, Evans said.

Plague is a highly infectious bacterial disease maintained by various types of wild rodents and is transmitted primarily by flea bite. Although human cases don't occur often, the illness can be severe and even life-threatening. Plague is easily treated with antibiotics when recognized early.

Three Coloradans contracted plague in 2004 and one person died. In 2005, there were also three human cases of plague.

Symptoms of plague in humans can begin two to six days after infection and include sudden onset of high fever, muscle pain, malaise, nausea and vomiting. With bubonic plague, individuals may develop a large swollen, painful lymph node called a bubo in the area of the flea bite, usually the groin or the armpit.

For more information, call Environment Health Division at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment at 304-6415 or the Colorado Emergency Line for the Public (CoHelp) at (877) 462-2911.