Humans who contract the disease and get treated immediately will not suffer serious consequences. It's no longer the tremendous public health threat. The disease in humans first appears as swelling in the lymph nodes and is accompanied by flulike symptoms such as fever and headaches that occur within two to six days of infection. Bubonic plague, the most common of the plagues, generally occurs in rodents, rabbits and cats but rarely in humans, officials said. In this area, coyotes roaming along the Canadian River could carry the fleas into populations of other animals, said Dr. James Alexander, a zoonosis control veterinarian with the Texas Department of Health in Canyon.
Fleas stay in the burrows after killing prairie dogs, waiting for a new host, eventually dying.
Alexander said examination of the flea population at the infected area showed that 90 percent recently had hatched. Caution should still be taken to avoid animals if they appear sick, and visitors should use insect repellent on themselves and their pets. People should also stay away from rodent nests and burrows, and hunters should wear gloves when handling dead animals. Park officials have shut down the Sanford-Yake campground, posting signs around the area warning about the possible health risk. The annual Lakeshore Clean-up on Saturday was canceled, and health officials said they plan to survey the park for other animals that might carry the disease.