Health Alerts

Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services has given notice of a rise in tick-borne infections this year, even as it announced the death of a man from the West Central district from Rocky Mountain spotted fever - the first fatality in five years. SOME sites around South Lake Tahoe were shut to visitors recently after testing in the area detected fleas that were carrying plague bacteria. The testing followed last month’s confirmation of the first human plague infection in five years. Insect control measures were being deployed to enable all facilities to re-open by Labor Day. Advice from the Forest Service for anyone visiting the area includes staying on the marked trails, using insect repellent, suitable clothing and avoiding all contact with rodents. Read more. Elsewhere, Mongolia’s bubonic plague death toll has risen to three with another fatal case this week – in western Zavkhan province. The man was known to have eaten marmot meat – the animals are a significant reservoir of plague bacteria in the region. There have been 18 suspected bubonic plague infections this year in Mongolia with 17 of the 21 provinces currently considered risk areas. Read More