Colorado Department of Public Health
The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, has confirmed a human case of plague in a Pueblo County resident.
PDPHE continues to investigate a potential source and asks the public to take the precautions listed below:
- Eliminate places that rodents can hide and breed around your home, garage, shed or recreation area. Remove brush, rock piles, trash, and piles of lumber.
- Avoid contact with dead animals. If you must handle sick or dead animals follow these guidelines. First, put on an insect repellant to protect yourself from fleas. Then use a long-handled shovel to place it in a garbage bag. Lastly, place the bag in an outdoor garbage can.
- Use insect repellent that contains 20%-30% DEET to prevent flea bites. Treat pants, socks, shoe tops, arms, and legs.
- Do not let pets sleep in bed with you.
- Treat dogs and cats for fleas regularly. Flea collars have not been proven effective.
- Do not allow pets to hunt or roam in rodent areas, such as prairie dog colonies.
- Keep pet food in rodent-proof containers.