The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report an average of seven plague cases per year. In the U.S. Plague has been known to reside in squirrel populations in the San Gabriel Mountains.
A prompted health advisory from the Los Angeles Public Health Communications recommend “protection with an insect repellant containing DEET against fleas, mosquitoes and ticks for persons visiting the Angeles National Forest and engaging in outside recreational activities in other areas of LA county.” (A warning to be known: the DEET is not safe to be used on pets.)
The symptoms of the bubonic plague include a rapid onset of fever and chills and enlarged lymph glands near the bite. If left untreated, the plague can be fatal. Treating early within 24 hours of onset of symptoms is generally not life threatening.
The standard antibiotics to treat the plague are Streptomycin, Doxycycline or Gentamicin. Another antibiotic choice is for Ciprofloxacin or Levofloxacin.
People should avoid any areas with reported plague.
