OMAHA, Neb. -- A pet cat in Nebraska has come up with the bubonic plague, highlighting the need for pet owners to regularly check their animals for fleas.

State health officials are investigating the case in Scottsbluff County.

A local veterinarian reported the case.

The cat's owners believe the cat got the disease from an infected prairie dog.

The plague is contracted through infected fleas but can be transmitted by contact with rodents, wildlife and pets.

A common symptom of the plague is painful and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit or neck.