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November 9, 2009

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Raccoon with plague caught

Friday, Aug. 31, 2001 | 10:38 a.m.

A raccoon caught at Mount Charleston has tested positive for plague, and health officials are warning people to take extra precautions with wildlife.

Human plague is an extremely rare bacterial illness that can transmitted through the bite of infected fleas or contact with an infected animal. An estimated 14 percent of all plague cases in the United States are fatal.

There have been five cases of human plague in Nevada since 1978; the most recent near Carson City in 1992.

Bubonic plague, which is transmitted by rodent fleas, is the most common form of the illness. Symptoms include swollen glands, fever, chills and extreme fatigue.

Two feral cats trapped near Mount Charleston in June tested positive for pneumonic plague, an airborne form of the illness that is considered fatal in 95 percent of the cases.

People should apply insect repellant before outdoor activity and avoid contact with rodents, foxes, raccoons and feral cats, health officials said.

Dead or sick animals should be reported to the Clark County Health District or rangers in the Mount Charleston area.

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