The Bubonic Plague is back in Idaho for the first time in 26 years.

A boy in Idaho contracted the plague and is supposedly “doing well” after being treated in the hospital. According to the Central District Health Department, the disease was seen in ground squirrels around Elmore and Ada County, where the child who was infected lives.

The Bubonic Plague, while it is the most common form of the plague, the most recent human case reported in America was in 1992. The plague can be spread to humans via contact and bites from infected fleas.

The boy is now home after being treated with antibiotics in the hospital.  

While it is not clear if the boy was infected in Idaho or Oregon where he was vacationing, human cases of the disease are very rare. The CDC recommended tips to avoid the plague  are:

Reduce the rodents around your house

Use flea spray on household pets

Wear flea and bug repellent

Wear gloves when handling wild animals