“Fact check: Bubonic plague case found in Inner Mongolia, China - USA TODAY” plus 1 more

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Fact check: Bubonic plague case found in Inner Mongolia, China - USA TODAY Posted: 08 Jul 2020 12:00 AM PDT CLOSE Local officials in the Chinese region of inner Mongolia revealed a case of bubonic plague in a herdsman. Buzz60 The claim: A case of bubonic plague was reported in northern China. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how diseases will thrive in whatever vector they're given. Recent reports from China's Inner Mongolia region further demonstrate how pockets of a disease can survive long after an outbreak has ended. "Soooo...Now China has the Bubonic Plague. Buckle up, kids," one Facebook user wrote. "Bingo card check: Who had Bubonic Plague for july?!" asked another. The posts were referencing Chinese state media reports of a confirmed case of bubonic plague in the city of Bayannur. The announcement was accompanied by a local alert to residents of the city warning off certain activities. The World Health Organization considers the threat of a bubonic plague outbreak minimal. An image provided by Rocky Mountain Laboratories showing an electron micrograph depicting a mass of Yersinia pestis bacteria (the cause of bubonic plague).  (Photo: Rocky Mountain Laboratories via AP) Plague and its many forms Plague is a broad disease that spreads through a variety of animals, including rodents, flies and humans. The disease is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which can be found all over the world. The three forms of plague — bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic — have all caused deadly outbreaks throughout history. Bubonic plague, the strain recently found in Inner Mongolia, was the disease responsible for the Black Death, the deadliest pandemic in human history. More: Bubonic plague is still a problem Bubonic plague, which is also the most common form, causes painful swelling of the lymph nodes along with fever, chills and coughing. It is typically spread through flea bites and contact with infected animals. If administered early, however, antibiotics can stymie the worst symptoms and prevent death. The various strains of plague have arisen in outbreaks throughout history; plague cases are fairly common in China, though over the past decade reported outbreaks of the disease have fallen steadily. The Bayannur case On July 5, Xinhua News reported a suspected case of plague in the Inner Mongolia region. Health authorities later said the case was a local farmer who was being treated in isolation and in stable condition. After the announcement, local authorities issued an alert in the city, urging residents to minimize person-to-person contact. The alert also banned hunting, eating or transporting animals that could carry plague, according to the South China Morning Post. Marmots spread bubonic plague. A suspected case has been found recently in Inner Mongolia.  (Photo: Ben Hulsey) Residents were also encouraged to report any suspected cases of plague, as well as any sick or dead marmots, animals known to spread the bacteria. "At present, there is a risk of a human plague epidemic spreading in this city. The public should improve its self-protection awareness and ability, and report abnormal health conditions promptly," the local health authority said, according to China Daily. More: US coronavirus map: Tracking the outbreak The announcement comes as China has continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic, which began in Wuhan, in Hubei Province. The World Health Organization stated it has been working with Chinese and Mongolian authorities to ward off a potential outbreak. "We are looking at the case numbers in China. It's being well managed," WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said told a press briefing Tuesday. "Bubonic plague has been with us and is always with us, for centuries," she said, adding, "At the moment we are not ... considering it high-risk." Our ruling: True Widespread reporting confirms that China's Inner Mongolia region has a confirmed case of the bubonic plague. While it has a horrific history, plague is now a relatively common and treatable disease if preempted early. Authorities in the region have taken steps to stop a potential outbreak. We rate this claim TRUE. Our fact-check sources: USA TODAY, China reports bubonic plague case, raises local alert level in Inner Mongolia CDC FAQ on Plague History, Black Death CDC, Recommended Antibiotics for Plague XinhuaNet, North China region reports 1 suspected bubonic plague case Global Times, North China city reports 1 case of bubonic plague, launches level III early warning Reuters, City in China's Inner Mongolia warns after suspected bubonic plague case South China Morning Post, After bubonic plague confirmed, Chinese officials urge precautions China Daily, North China city issues bubonic plague warning following suspected case USA TODAY, China steps up emergency footing as coronavirus flares up again in Beijing Al Jazeera, Bubonic plague in China not a high risk: WHO Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/08/fact-check-who-fighting-bubonic-plague-inner-mongolia-china/5397793002/

Chinese city issues PLAGUE epidemic warnings as victim dies - Daily Mail Posted: 06 Aug 2020 08:52 AM PDT A Chinese city has locked down a neighbourhood and issued level-three epidemic warnings for plague after one of its residents died of the disease, according to a government notice. The city of Baotou in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region said the person had contracted the enteric plague, one of the four forms of plague which attacks a person's digestive system. The unidentified individual died on Sunday after suffering circulatory system failure, the Baotou Health Committee said in a statement on Thursday.   The death occurred at the Suji Estate at the town of Shibao in Darhan Muminggan United Banner near the Chinese border with Mongolia, according to Baotou government (file photo) The news comes as the northern Chinese region detected a case of bubonic plague last month. A herdsman from Bayan Nur in Inner Mongolia was confirmed on July 4 to have the disease, known as the 'Black Death' in the Middle Ages.  The latest fatality occurred at the Suji Estate at the town of Shibao in Darhan Muminggan United Banner near the Chinese border with Mongolia, the statement announced. Officials have ordered the city to enter a precautionary warning period, which is set to last from today till the end of the year. The city of Baotou in China's Inner Mongolia said the person had contracted the enteric plague, one of the four forms of plague which attacks a person's digestive system Authorities have isolated nine people who had had close contact with the deceased, as well as their respective close contacts which amounted to 26. All of the 35 quarantined residents have been sent to isolation camps, given precautionary drugs and taken polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which detect the bacterium that causes plague. None of them had a fever, and all their test results were negative, the statement said. Officials locked down Suji Estate to prevent the spread of the disease. The government admitted that the city was facing a potential epidemic of plague among humans. Officials have locked down the area where the deceased lived to prevent the spread of plague Authorities said they had carried out door-to-door health checks for the locals and increased the intensity of anti-epidemic education. They added that workers were thoroughly disinfecting the home of the deceased as well as the surrounding farmhouses daily. Officials have also launched a campaign to kill fleas and rodents. None of the residents in Suji had a fever or tested positive for plague, the notice said. Enteric plague, also known as the pharyngeal plague, can arise as a result of exposure to infectious aerosols or by ingestion of infected meat. It is less common than the bubonic plague, one of the most devastating diseases in history, or the pneumonic plague, a severe lung infection. The other type of plague, the septicemic plague, affects a person's blood systems.

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