China takes precautions after case of bubonic plague confirmed
A city in Inner Mongolia has confirmed a case of bubonic plague, prompting authorities in China to step up precautions
The case was reported on 4 July at a hospital in Bayannur, a city west of the Chinese autonomous region. It is not yet confirmed how the patient came to be infected with the bubonic plague. However, The Guardian last year reported on a couple that died of bubonic plague in Mongolia after eating marmot, triggering a six-day quarantine in the region.
The patient is in stable condition in quarantine, according to reports. Authorities are also investigating a second suspected case. The bubonic plague can now be easily treated but is highly contagious.
The incident has triggered a level three alert, ordering people to report any dead or sick marmots or any unexplained fever symptoms in humans.
According to state-run newspaper China Daily, the local health authority commented: “At present, there is a risk of a human plague epidemic spreading in this city. The public should improve its self-protection awareness and ability and report abnormal health conditions promptly.”
Bubonic plague is not uncommon in China; however, cases had become increasingly rare with only 26 reports between 2009 and 2018, resulting in 11 deaths.