In 2007, 482 blood samples were collected from wild carnivores and 914 blood samples from wild rodents in connection with the statewide plague surveillance program conducted by the Vector-borne Disease Section of the California Department of Public Health. Veterinarians submitted 5 samples from domestic pets. Plague was confirmed in one domestic cat from Kern County. Plague antibodies were detected in 37 of 335 coyotes, 12 of 47 black bears, and one of 4 gray foxes. Among wild rodents, antibodies were detected in 23 of 432 California ground squirrels, and one of 237 chipmunks. Additionally, samples from 124 feral pigs were negative. All data from 2007 Annual Report, Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health.
A summary of the blood samples tested are shown in the following table:
|
County
|
Rodents
|
Carnivores
|
||||
|
Tested
|
Positive
|
Species
|
Tested
|
Positive
|
Species
|
|
| Alameda |
4
|
0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Butte |
6
|
0 | ||||
| El Dorado |
29
|
0 | ||||
| Fresno |
23
|
0 | ||||
| Imperial |
25
|
0 | ||||
| Inyo |
153
|
18 |
California ground squirrel
|
|||
| 1 |
Chipmunk
|
|||||
| Kern |
7
|
0 | 144 | 2 |
Coyote
|
|
|
1
|
Domestic cat
|
|||||
| Lassen |
1
|
0 | ||||
| Los Angeles |
5
|
0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Madera |
24
|
0 | ||||
| Mariposa |
4
|
0 | 34 | 2 |
Black bear
|
|
| Mendocino | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Modoc | 43 | 16 |
Coyote
|
|||
| Mono |
202
|
0 | ||||
| Monterey | 24 | |||||
| Napa |
30
|
0 | ||||
| Nevada |
4
|
0 | ||||
| Orange |
4
|
0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Placer | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Plumas |
1
|
0 | 63 | 8 |
Black bear
|
|
|
13
|
Coyote
|
|||||
|
1
|
Gray fox
|
|||||
| Riverside |
119
|
0 | ||||
| San Benito | 6 | 0 | ||||
| San Bernardino |
189
|
3 |
California ground squirrel
|
|||
| San Diego |
21
|
2 |
California ground squirrel
|
8 | 0 | |
| San Francisco | 2 | 0 | ||||
| San Joaquin | 6 | 0 | ||||
| San Luis Obispo |
12
|
0 | 34 | 0 | ||
| Santa Barbara |
1
|
0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Shasta |
1
|
0 | ||||
| Sierra |
2
|
0 | 22 | 2 |
Black bear
|
|
|
6
|
Coyote
|
|||||
| Siskiyou |
16
|
0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Tuolumne |
26
|
0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Ventura |
30
|
0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Yuba |
|
|
3 | 0 |
|
|
| Totals |
914
|
24
|
482
|
51
|
||