Authorities in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region sealed off a village after a resident died of Bubonic plague, a centuries-old disease that caused a major outbreak in 2009. It is the second death due to the plague this week. The victim from Bayannur city died of multiple organ failure and was diagnosed as infected with the bubonic plague.
Authorities in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region sealed off a village after a resident died of Bubonic plague, a centuries-old disease that caused a major outbreak in 2009. It is the second death due to the plague this week. The victim from Bayannur city died of multiple organ failure and was diagnosed as infected with the bubonic plague.
Seven close contacts of the victim have been placed under medical observation after all of them tested negative for the plague. The area where the victim lived has also been sealed off.
To curb the spread of the disease, the Damao Banner district where the village, Suji Xincun, is located, has been put on level 3 alert for plague prevention till the end of this year. Level III is the second-lowest in a four-level system. On Thursday, another city in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Baotou, also issued a level III warning after reporting one plague fatality.
What is plague?
Plague is an infectious disease, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria usually found in small mammals and their fleas. People can contract plague if they are bitten by infected fleas, and can develop the bubonic form of plague.
Sometimes bubonic plague progresses to pneumonic plague when the bacteria reach the lungs. Common antibiotics are efficient to cure plague, only if they are given at an early stage. Plague can be a very severe disease in people, with a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 60% for the bubonic type, and is always fatal for the pneumonic kind when left untreated.
Is person-to-person transmission possible?
Person-to-person transmission is possible through the inhalation of infected respiratory droplets of a person who has pneumonic plague.
Types of plague
There are two main forms of plague infection, depending on the route of infection.
1. Bubonic plague
It is the most common form of plague globally and is caused by the bite of an infected flea. Human to human transmission of bubonic plague is rare, reports WHO. However, it can advance and spread to the lungs, which is the more severe type of plague called Pneumonic plague.
2. Pneumonic plague (lung-based plague)
It is the most virulent form of plague. Incubation can be as short as 24 hours. Any person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease via droplets to other humans. Untreated pneumonic plague can be fatal. However, recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time (within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms).
Symptoms of bubonic plague
Symptoms include fever, chills, head and body aches and weakness, vomiting, and nausea. Painful and inflamed lymph nodes can also appear during bubonic plague.
Prevention and treatment
To prevent bubonic plague, avoid touching dead animals, and wear insect repellent while in plague endemic areas. Plague can be treated with antibiotics, and recovery is common if treatment starts early.
In plague-outbreak areas, people with symptoms should go to a health centre for evaluation and treatment. Currently, the three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru.
The plague that caused 50 million deaths in 14th century
China has largely eradicated the plague, but occasional cases still occur. The country has reported 26 cases and 11 deaths from 2009 to 2018.
Historically, plague was responsible for widespread pandemics with high mortality. It was known as the "Black Death" during the fourteenth century, causing more than 50 million deaths in Europe.
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