Mongolia: Suspected case of Bubonic plague tests negative in Khovd province

On August 20, a suspected case of bubonic plague was declared negative by the authorities in Khovd province of Mongolia.  Nyamdorj Tsogbadrakh who is the director of the National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, reportedly said that the samples were taken from a 37-year-old resident of Tsetseg soum. He was taken to a local hospital on August 16 after consuming marmot meat. 

One person dies every year

According to reports, at least one person dies in Mongolia every year due to bubonic plague. The reason for the spread of the disease is due to the fleas clinging to the hair of the marmots which are born in the region. On August 12, Mongolia’s Health Ministry confirmed another death due to Bubonic plague. According to the World Health Organization, the bubonic plague is a bacterial disease that can be spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots. This disease can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time. The authorities reportedly said that 17 out of 21 provinces in Mongolia are now at risk of the bubonic plague. 

Read: China Seals Off Village In Inner Mongolia After Resident Dies Of Bubonic Plague

Reports suggest that as a result of the death of the man due to plague, the government of the region has started campaigns in order to discourage people from eating the rodent. The man died on the night of August 11. Reports suggest that there were around 70 people in close contact with the 42-year-old man who brought two dead marmots before he fell ill. 

Read: Mongolia: Bubonic Plague Kills Another Person; People In Contact With Him To Be Tested

According to reports by health officials in China, two similar deaths have been reported from their side of the border this month. One death was from bubonic plague while the other was caused by the rare pharyngeal plague. The recent surge in cases have urged the Buryatia region, which is located in eastern Serbia, to test rodents for the bubonic plague and ask residents not to hunt or eat marmots. Recently, China has revealed that it has sealed off a village in Baotou city located in Inner Mongolia after a person there died of the deadly Bubonic plague.

Read: Bubonic Plague: What Did Doctors Wear To Protect Themselves In 1347?

Also Read: Bubonic Plague In China: Here's All You Need To Know About Infamous 'Black Death'

(Image Credits: AP)