August 18, 2015 - Public health officials and Yosemite National Park staff successfully dusted rodent burrows in the Tuolumne Meadows Campground yesterday with the insecticide deltamethrin (DeltaDust). Deltamethrin was used to treat rodent burrows in the campground to reduce the risk to people and wildlife from fleas that may carry the plague bacteria. It is commonly used on pets and livestock to control fleas and ticks, as well as on clothing and lawns to kill mosquitoes and ticks.
We hope to re-open Tuolumne Meadows Campground on Friday as planned. We will do follow-up surveillance today and Wednesday.
Although cases of human plague are very rare, everyone needs to be diligent to reduce risk of exposure to plague.
Steps the you can take to avoid exposure to human plague include:
- Never feed squirrels, chipmunks or other rodents and never touch a sick or dead rodent
- Avoid walking or camping near rodent burrows
- Do not pitch your tent or prepare food near rodent burrows
- Wear long pants tucked into socks or boot tops to reduce exposure to fleas
- Spray insect repellent containing DEET on socks and pant cuffs to reduce exposure to fleas
- Keep wild rodents out of homes, trailers, and outbuildings and away from pets
We appreciate your attention to this matter.
Don Neubacher, on behalf of Yosemite National Park.
