A domestic animal in Larimer County’s Red Feather Lakes area has tested positive for the bubonic plague, health officials announced Thursday.

The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment was notified of the test results on Wednesday, Nov. 1, the department said in a Thursday news release.

While the news release didn’t specify what animal tested positive, domestic animals include everything from household pets to livestock.

According to the health department’s news release, infectious disease experts recommended people exposed to the infected animal for antibiotic treatment to prevent the plague from developing.

A NextDoor social media notification and plague health alert signs will be posted in the general area to raise the level of awareness and ask people to take precautions to prevent plague, the news release stated.

Both humans and animals can become infected with the bacterial infection without proper precautions.

The disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected flea, the health department stated. In humans, symptoms include a high fever, chills, headache, extreme fatigue and tender or swollen lymph glands.

Larimer County’s last reported human case of Plague occurred in 2015. If caught early on, the plague can be treated with antibiotics.

In order to avoid catching the disease altogether, the health department said people should avoid feeding or handling wild animals, check with their veterinarians regarding flea and tick control for their pets, clear property of trash or other areas for rodents to hide and report dead rodents to the health department at 970-498-6775.

The health department will continue to monitor plague activity in the area. Additional information on plague can be found on the department’s website.

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