New epidemic warning raised in China after reports of Bubonic Plague case

FILE: Yersinia Pestis (Photo By Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

China reported an early epidemic warning as a new case of the Bubonic Plague was confirmed by authorities in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.

Health authorities from the Bayannur district raised the plague warnings on Sunday as a herdman from the Inner Mongolia region was diagnosed with the Bubonic Plague, sparking fears of a new outbreak while in the middle of battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The city health commission said that the man is now in a stable condition in a hospital at Bayannur district. China also announced that they are stepping up precautions in the region to prevent further spread of the highly-contagious disease.

The commission has ordered the people against hunting, eating or transporting potentially infected animals, especially marmots, and to immediately inform any dead or diseased rodents. They also said that anyone with fever or showing early symptoms should immediately be sent to the hospital for treatment.

On Monday, July 6, another suspected case was reported that involved a 15-year-old boy from the neighboring Mongolia who came in contact with a marmot hunted by a dog. The boy had a fever after eating the marmot.

Last week, two other cases were confirmed in the Khovd Province of Mongolia, involving two brothers who also ate marmot meat.

A total of 146 people who came in contact with the brothers have been quarantined.

The Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death was a devastating global epidemic during the Middle Ages.

Caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, it is transmitted by fleas that become infected by rodents and can infect humans.

The Black Death has killed 50 million people in the 12th century and 12 million people in the 19th century, and has been branded as the deadliest plague in history.

However, it is now considered as the most common type of plague and can be treated with antibiotics.