Third person dies of pneumonic plague in China
Third person dies of pneumonic plague in China
Also In The News
|
The third Ashes Test at Edgbaston finished in a draw, meaning that England will go into the fourth Test at Headingley on Friday with a slender 1-0 lead in the series. |  |
Tuesday, 04, Aug 2009 08:56
A third person has died of pneumonic plague in north-western China, local officials have declared.
Nine other people have now contracted the disease and are being treated in isolation at a hospital in Qinghai province.
According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the latest victim of the plague outbreak was a 64-year-old man. His death follows that of his neighbour, a 32-year-old man, and another 37-year-old.
It is believed most of those currently being treated in hospital are relatives of the 32-year-old victim.
The pneumonic plague outbreak is said to be centred on the town of Ziketan, where the 10,000 strong population has now been placed in quarantine.
Pneumonic plague is a virulent form of plague that attacks the lungs, with all who visited Ziketan or the surrounding area after July 16th now urged to seek medical advice.
The plague is caused by the same bacteria as occurs in bubonic plague - the so-called Black Death that swept across Europe in the Middle Ages killing an estimated 25 million people.
Russia has announced it will be closely monitoring its border with China following the outbreak in an attempt to control those crossing between the two countries.