China bubonic plague: Warning issued after suspected case in Inner Mongolia as people urged to report sick marmots
Alert bans hunting and eating of animals that could carry disease
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Authorities in a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia have issued a warning after a suspected case of the bubonic plague and asked people to report any sick marmots.
The health committee of Bayan Nur issued a third-level alert, the second lowest in a four-level system.
The alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague.
It also asks the public to report any suspected cases of plague or fever with no clear causes, and to report any sick or dead marmots.
The warning comes a day after a hospital in the Inner Mongolian city reported a case of suspected bubonic plague on Saturday.
It follows four reported cases of plague in people from Inner Mongolia last November, including two of pneumonic plague, a deadlier variant of plague.
The bubonic plague, known as the "Black Death" in the Middle Ages, is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that is spread mostly by rodents.
Plague cases are not uncommon in China, but outbreaks have become increasingly rare.
From 2009 to 2018, China reported 26 cases and 11 deaths.
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments