Officials believe an infected flea bit the sick person, who was camping in the South Lake Tahoe area. Health officials in California identified a positive case of plague in a Lake Tahoe resident. El Dorado County officials said in a release that they have notified the California Department of Health that a resident from South Lake Tahoe has plague.

The El Dorado County Public Health Division announced that a resident tested positive for plague after going camping in the South Lake Tahoe area.

PLACERVILLE — A South Lake Tahoe resident has tested positive for plague, according to health officials in El Dorado County. The bacterial disease is extremely rare in humans and can be very serious. It also can be treated with antibiotics if caught early, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.