Village Sealed Off In China After Death Of Bubonic Plague Patient

A village in China has been sealed off after a resident suffering from bubonic plague died.

Homes in Suji Xincun, in Inner Mongolia, are now subject to daily disinfection following the death, CNN reports.

It's not known how the resident ended up contracting the diseases but officials in a nearby city have said as yet, no one else has tested positive.

The Baotou Municipal Health Commission said in a statement that nine people who were in close contact with the village and 26 secondary contacts have now been quarantined. All have had negative test results.

Officials have issued a Level 3 warning, the second-lowest in a four-tier system.

PA

The statement reads in part: "Experts remind the general public: you should maintain good personal hygiene habits, try to avoid going to epidemic areas and spots, and if you have fever, cough and other related symptoms, you should go to the designated medical institution in time."

It continues: "If symptoms such as fever, cough, lymph node pain, hemoptysis or bleeding occur, seek medical attention."

Plague is transmitted through fleabites and infected animals, prompting officials in Baotou to carry out 'flea and rodent control' in the area surrounding the patient's home.

Although it's largely considered a historical disease, according to the World Health Organisation, between 1,000 and 2,000 catch bubonic plague every year.

Antibiotics can be used to kill the infection if it's caught early enough.

Dr Shanthi Kappagoda, an infectious disease physician at Stanford Health Care, told Healthline: "Unlike in the 14th century, we now have an understanding of how this disease is transmitted.

"We know how to prevent it - avoid handling sick or dead animals in areas where there is transmission.

"We are also able to treat patients who are infected with effective antibiotics, and can give antibiotics to people who may have been exposed to the bacteria [and] prevent them [from] getting sick."

This is the second case of bubonic plague confirmed in China this year.

Back in July a herdsman from Bayannur, in Inner Mongolia, contracted the disease.

The local health authority told China Daily: "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."

Topics: World News, China

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

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