The plague sounds like a distant threat, but a small number of serious cases of the disease occur every year. Experts explain why it persists.

It is not just a scourge of the Middle Ages. Plague still exists, though it is rare. Here’s what to look for and how to protect yourself.

In El Dorado County alone, wildlife surveillance between 2021 and 2025 detected evidence of plague in at least 45 squirrels and chipmunks in the Lake Tahoe Basin. These animals can carry the bacteria without always appearing sick, making it harder for campers and hikers to know they’re at risk.

Deputies responding to a call at an ice cream shop in South Lake Tahoe came across a grizzly crime—a bear had broken in searching for a sweet treat.