Suspected bubonic plague case reported in Inner Mongolia

A herdsman in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia was diagnosed as a case of bubonic plague, local health officials said Sunday. 

The man has been isolated and treated at a local hospital and is in stable condition, the Bayannaoer City Health Commissioner said in a statement. 

The health commission issued a third-level warning for plague prevention and control that will last until the end of 2020. The commission is warning people against hunting or eating animals that are potentially infected, as well as calling on the public to report any animals found to be sick or dead. 

The bubonic plague causes patients to develop a sudden onset of fever, headache, chills weakness and one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is typically the result of an infected flea bite and if a patient is not treated with appropriate antibiotics, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body. 

During the Black Death in the Middle Ages, it killed an estimated 50 million people in Europe. 

Antibiotic treatment is effective against plague bacteria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Between 2010 and 2015, there were 3,248 cases of plague worldwide, including 584 deaths, according to the WHO. The three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru.