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Camping Area Shut Down By Plague

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 18:08 CDT

By Christopher Smart, The Salt Lake Tribune

May 16--An outbreak of bubonic plague among field mice and chipmunks has forced officials to close the campground at southeast Utah's popular Natural Bridges National Monument.

Plague also has turned up in rodent populations this spring at Mesa Verde National Park and Colorado National Monument.

No humans have been infected in this latest outbreak.

An average of 18 cases involving humans are reported each year in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Statistically, one in seven of those infected will die.

National Park Service officials, however, say vacationers ought not to worry. There never has been a reported human case of bubonic plague originating from the parks or national monuments.

"We come down on the conservative side when it comes to closing campgrounds," said Joe Winkelmaier, U.S. Public Health Service. "We just like to be sure when it comes to plague."

Humans usually contract bubonic plague after being bitten by fleas that have previously bitten infected rodents. The bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, is endemic in rodents in the western United States and is most pronounced around the Four Corners region, Winkelmaier said.

Several weeks ago, park rangers noticed a large number of dead field mice at Natural Bridges, about 40 miles west of Blanding, San Juan County.

"We had them tested, and the results showed they died as a result of the plague," said Chief Ranger Ralph Jones.

The campground will be closed until further notice. But Jones said it could reopen by next week.

Rangers will spray insecticides to kill fleas in the campground area. When park officials are satisfied there are no more fleas, the campground will be reopened.

"We test three to seven days later to see if there are any left," Winkelmaier explained, adding that without fleas to transmit the disease to humans, infected rodents pose little danger.

No state parks are affected, according to spokeswoman Hollie Brown.

Plague is a centuries-old disease that scientists don't expect to disappear. Before modern medicine and antibiotics, plague epidemics swept through Europe, Asia and Africa killing tens of thousands, earning it the moniker "Black Death."

Worldwide, there are still 1,000 to 2,000 cases of plague reported annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It is believed bubonic plague was carried to the United States from Asia in about 1900, Winkelmaier noted. Plague is most common in Arizona and New Mexico.

BUBONIC PLAGUE:

--Transmission: People are infected when bitten by fleas that previously had bitten rodents carrying the plague bacterium.

--Symptoms: Swollen and very tender lymph glands, accompanied by pain, fever, chills, headache and extreme exhaustion.

--Mortality rate: About 14 percent -- one in seven plague cases in the U.S. is fatal.

--Treatment: Hospitalization, isolation and antibiotics.

--Distribution: Bubonic plague is found across the western United States, but is concentrated near the Four Corners area.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Salt Lake Tribune

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Source: The Salt Lake Tribune

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