A reported plague infection in South Lake Tahoe raised alarms as the disease known for the devastation it caused in Medieval Europe returned to the news.

Today, bubonic plague, known as Yersinia pestis, can be found in fleas clinging to wildlife throughout California’s mountains. The difference, however, is how treatable the disease is with the advent of antibiotics, said Dr. Geetha Sivasubramanian, associate professor of medicine and chief of infectious disease at UCSF Fresno.

“Especially in western states like California (and) Arizona, we do periodically see cases. I would say in the U.S. in total we probably see maybe like eight cases a year, so it is still extremely rare,” Sivasubramanian said. “I wouldn’t panic just seeing that one case.”

However, people — hikers and campers especi

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