The Bayannur city health commission confirmed that a herdsman was confirmed to be infected with bubonic plague, here on Sunday. He said that the infected person is under observation and was in stable condition.
Bubonic Plague Suspected Case and Measure to Prevent Disease Spread
To impose check on the plague, the commission issued a third level alert. Out of the total four, the third level is the second-lowest. It has also warned people against hunting, eating, or transporting potentially infected animals, particularly marmots, and to report any dead or diseased rodents.
The city government of the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia acted swiftly. It had activated the plague-prevention measures that would remain in force for the rest of the year.
The Yersinia pestis bacterium is the cause of Bubonic plague. This disease had caused the Black Death in the Middle Ages. The bacterium gets transmitted by fleas that become infected by rodents. In Mongolia, marmots living in rural areas become the host, mostly.
The same bacterium is known to cause another disease; pneumonia plague. In November last year, Beijing officials confirmed two people from Inner Mongolia infected with the same disease. Just like a current pandemic disease, pneumonic plague is a type of disease that can transmit person to person. This disease transmits through respiratory droplets.
According to the WHO, bubonic plague is fatal in about 30 percent to 60 percent of untreated cases. The health organization says pneumonia plague is invariably fatal, if not treated. Antibiotics can cure the Bubonic Plague if delivered early/in time.
The neighboring country, Mongolia has started investigating a suspected case of bubonic plague involving a 15-year-old. The suspect had been infected with a marmot hunted by a dog. On Monday, Mongolia restrictions in Khovd Province in an announcement after two cases of bubonic plague linked to the consumption of marmot meat were reported a week ago.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Every year plague cases of limited numbers are found in the world. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in the United States, about seven cases, usually, the bubonic form, are found average a year. These cases are reported most often in rural areas of western states.
What is Plague? How infectious and fatal is Bubonic Plague?
Plague is an infectious disease that is largely caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis that live in some animals. The main carrier is happened to be rodents and their fleas. There are different types of plague and most of them are infected by animals. Bubonic plague is the most common type of plague that caused the Black Death. It got its name from the symptoms it causes, painful, swollen lymph nodes, or ‘buboes’ in the groin or armpit. 3,248 cases reported worldwide in five years from 2010 to 2015. The fatal infectious disease caused 584 deaths in that period.
