A popular US travel spot has been shut down temporarily after the bubonic plague was found in the local chipmunks.
The US Forest Service said areas of the Lake Tahoe region in California would be closed until Friday local time after "positive plague tests".
"We anticipate being open again prior to next weekend," the Service said in a statement on Facebook.
READ MORE: Case of rare disease related to smallpox emerges in US
"According to the El Dorado County Public Health office, plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation (mountainous areas) of El Dorado County, so we all need to be cautious around animals that can carry it."
While notoriously associated with rats, particularly in the case of the Black Death pandemic in medieval Europe, the plague is more often spread by the fleas that infest wild rodents or even pets dogs and cats.
READ MORE: 5000-year-old man may have been 'oldest' plague victim
However, close contact with an infected animal can also infect a human.
While potentially lethal and capable of wiping out large swathes of a population, the plague is more easily treated now with antibiotics and has a low mortality rate.
However, last month it was revealed a 10-year-old boy in Colorado had died of the disease.
"In Colorado, we expect to have fleas test positive for plague during the summer months," Jennifer House, Deputy State Epidemiologist and Public Health Veterinarian for CDPHE, said in a statement.
"Awareness and precautions can help prevent the disease in people," Colorado's deputy state epidemiologist Jennifer House said in a statement.
"While it's rare for people to contract plague, we want to make sure everyone knows the symptoms. The disease is treatable if caught early."
The symptoms include a "sudden onset of high fever and/or swollen lymph nodes".
- Reported with CNN
