Nuts! A Squirrel in Colorado Tests Positive for the Bubonic Plague

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A squirrel in Jefferson County, CO has tested positive for the bubonic plague — also known as the “Black Death” — after someone reported seeing at least 15 dead squirrels around the area.

Thankfully, we don’t live in the 1600s and the plague won’t easily be contracted to humans. Still, county officials warned people to take precautions against the infectious disease, like avoiding wild animals.

“Cats are highly susceptible to plague and may die if not treated promptly with antibiotics. Cats can contract plague from flea bites, a rodent scratch/bite or ingestion of a rodent. Dogs are not as susceptible to plague; however, they may pick up and carry plague-infected rodent fleas,” Jefferson County’s health department said in a statement.

The news comes a week after a case of the plague was found in Inner Mongolia, China. Local health officials there warned there’s a risk it could spread between humans. On Tuesday, a 15-year-old boy died from the plague in that area.

According to the CDC, its symptoms include a sudden fever or headache with swollen lymph nodes. The plague, which ravished Europe centuries ago, rarely pops up in the United States, but most of its cases occur in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, per the CDC. The mortality rate of the plague has improved due to modern antibiotics when found in humans.