San Juan Basin Health Department and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have identified a human case of septicemic plague in a La Plata County woman - Colorado's 65th case of plague since 1957.

The patient is currently being treated, according to a news release.

Health investigators are working to find the source of her exposure, but it is likely to come from handling an infected animal or from flea bites by infected fleas.

In August, the local health department confirmed that a county resident had tested positive for the bubonic plague. Septicemic plague is the rarest form of the three types of plague, which include bubonic and pnemonic plague.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plague is more common in rural areas, including central and southern Africa, central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the northeastern part of South America as well as parts of the southwestern United States. Since 1957, 14 percent of the human plague cases in Colorado, nine of the 65, were fatal.

Symptoms of septicemic plague include fever, chills, weakness, abdominal pain, shock and internal bleeding.

Also in the news release, which was issued Friday, San Juan Basin stated that nationwide, 157 samples have been tested for plague; and in Colorado, two rodents, one rabbit, one dog and one cat have all tested positive. Fourteen flea samples have tested positive as well.

To increase protection against contracting the disease, San Juan Basin recommends the following:

Do not touch or approach wild animals.

Wear gloves if you handle sick or dead animals.

Avoid allowing your pets to sleep in the same bed as yourself.

Use insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin to prevent flea bites.

Rodent proof houses and outer buildings.

bmathis@durangoherald.com