 |
| Bubonic plague, which is one of plague's three forms, causes painful, swollen lymph nodes, as well as fever, chills, and coughing. One of the deadliest bacterial infections in human history. During the Black Death in the Middle Ages, it killed an estimated 50 million people in Europe. (Photo by=CNN) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] Authorities in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia are on high alert after a suspected case of bubonic plague, the disease that caused the Black Death pandemic, was reported Sunday.
The case was discovered in the city of Bayannur, located northwest of Beijing, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. A hospital alerted municipal authorities of the patient's case on Saturday. By Sunday, local authorities had issued a citywide Level 3 warning for plague prevention, the second lowest in a four-level system until the end of the year.
Bayannur health authorities urge people to take extra precautions to minimize the risk of human-to-human transmission, and to avoid hunting or eating animals that could cause infection. "At present, there is a risk of a human plague epidemic spreading in this city.
They warned the public to report findings of dead or sick marmots eaten in some parts of China and Mongolia, and historically caused plague outbreaks in the region. Plague, caused by bacteria and transmitted through flea bites and infected animals, is one of the deadliest bacterial infections in human history. There is no effective vaccine against plague, but modern antibiotics can prevent complications and death if given quickly enough.
