ID#: 23565
Caption:
This historic July 1966 image was captured in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during a plague investigation. The photograph documents flea bites sustained by a middle-aged woman who had contracted plague and subsequently recovered. Epidemiologic findings suggested infection with the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, following flea exposure to the lower legs. The resident had reported a die-off of chipmunks, Eutamias quadrivittatus, on her property, and a chipmunk nest was later discovered in the garage ceiling. She had also disposed of a dead rock squirrel, Citellus variegatus, during which she observed amber-colored fleas on her ankles and sustained additional bites. The fleas were suspected to be Oropsylla montana (formerly Diamanus montanus). Despite immediate bathing, symptoms of plague developed several days later.
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Content Provider(s): CDC/ H.E. Stark
Creation Date: 1966
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Copyright Restrictions: Permission is not required for public domain images, however, these images are provided by CDC and are available for personal, professional, and educational use with appropriate attribution. Redistribution must credit CDC and, where known, the individual photographer, and identify the CDC website as the free source. For additional terms see Use of Agency Materials | Other | CDC