Chinese authorities reported a case of bubonic plague in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the northwest of the country. The patient, a local shepherd whose name is being withheld, was admitted to a clinic in the town of Bayan-Nur on July 4 and is in stable condition. It is not known how he became infected.
The authorities have implemented a third level of security in the autonomous region until the end of the year, which includes a ban on the consumption of meat from animals that are potential carriers of the plague and an appeal to the population to immediately report any suspicious cases. In neighboring Mongolia, at least three cases of suspected bubonic plague have been identified since last week.
The disease is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which lives in the bodies of rodents and the fleas that live on them. It is mainly transmitted from person to person through airborne droplets. The name comes from buboes – painful, dark red swellings of the lymph nodes under the armpits and in the groin. In addition to bubonic plague, there is a pulmonary plague that is more contagious and therefore more dangerous.
Until the advent of antibiotics, plague was almost inevitably fatal, but today it can be successfully treated with antibiotics if it is not allowed to progress. Early diagnosis through blood and tissue tests is crucial. In the Middle Ages, plague epidemics occurred every few decades. There were also several pandemics: the Justinian Plague in the 6th century and the “Black Death” in the 14th century, which killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe alone. Russia experienced four major plague epidemics between the 14th and 18th centuries, each killing tens of thousands of people.
From 2010 to 2015, 3248 cases of plague were recorded worldwide, of which 584 were fatal. The last death from plague in China occurred in July 2014 in the western province of Gansu. The most recent major outbreak in the world occurred in November 2017 in Madagascar, where 2,348 people fell ill and 202 died.
Symptoms usually appear on the second to sixth day after infection. In addition to blisters the size of a chicken egg, symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and general weakness. The plague affects the lungs, causing coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. Bacteria enter the bloodstream, causing sepsis and failure of vital organs.
The main sources of infection are flea bites, physical contact with animal carriers, especially rats, mice and marmots, and inhalation of infected people or animals. Dogs and cats are infected by fleas or by eating a dead rodent. If a person comes into contact with the blood of an infected animal, they can become infected through scratches on their skin. The body of a person who has died of the plague can be a source of infection for the living, especially when preparing the deceased for burial.
Plague outbreaks still occur in some parts of the world. In recent years, outbreaks have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar. However, they were quickly contained. “Fortunately, in this case, the disease was detected early enough to isolate the patient, start treatment and prevent further spread,” said Dr. Matthew Dryden, a consultant microbiologist at the University of Southampton. “Bubonic plague, unlike Covid-19, is caused by a bacterium, not a virus, and is effectively treated with antibiotics. Despite the alarming external similarities – a new infectious threat from the East! – there is reason to believe that this is an isolated case that will soon be dealt with,” the expert believes.
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