City in China's Inner Mongolia warns of suspected bubonic plague
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jul 9, 2020
A herdsman in China's northern Inner Mongolia region was confirmed at the weekend to have the bubonic plague.
E no dey clear how di patient catch di infection, but di kontri dey on alert for more cases.
There are three ways the disease can present - regional lymphadenitis (bubonic plague), septicaemia (septicaemic plague), or pneumonia (pneumonic plague). "The public should improve its self-protection awareness and ability, and report abnormal health conditions promptly".
The case was identified in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.
Chinese news agency Xinhua recently reported a case of what is believed to be the bubonic plague.
The World Health Organisation says that direct descendants of the bacteria responsible for the bubonic plague that killed 50 million people in the 14th century still exist today.
The CDC reported that a small number of plague infections in humans continue to occur in rural areas in western parts of the U.S. - an average of seven human cases per year have been reported in recent decades and 80 percent of USA plague cases are bubonic. "So although dis fit appear alarming, being another major infectious disease emerging from di East, it appear to be one single suspected case which dem fit treat".
Aside from antibiotics, prevention measures can deem effective in mitigating the spread of plague. Two more people got pneumonic plague - another form of the disease, which infects the lungs - months later across the border in Inner Mongolia. The bubonic plague, considered one of the most fatal pandemics in the human history that has resulted in million deaths, has re-emerged in China.
"The lymph node then becomes inflamed, tense and painful, and is called a 'bubo, '" according to the World Health Organization. Officials also suggested maintaining hygiene habits, avoiding crowded places, and wearing a mask if sick with a fever, cough, or other symptoms.
The United States averages about seven cases a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The plague can be fatal in up to 90 percent of people infected if not treated, primarily with several types of antibiotics.
Neighbouring Mongolia reported two cases last week linked to people eating marmot meat in its western Khovd province. Dr. Shanti Kappagoda, an infectious diseases doctor at Stanford Health Care, said.
What do we know about these latest cases?