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Just what we needed, bubonic plague reported in China – but what is it?
There are reports of a confirmed case of the bubonic plague in Inner Mongolia, which is precisely what the doctor didn’t order as we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
What exactly is the bubonic plague?
A plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis.
The term ‘plague’ is most associated with the Black Death, which killed around 50 million people in the 14th century.
While it isn’t a headline grabber these days, there were over 3,000 documented cases of the plague and nearly 600 deaths between 2010 and 2015, the majority coming in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru.
There was also a major outbreak in Oran in Algeria in 2003.
Interestingly, an average of seven cases of plague are reported every year in the USA with New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado the most common regions.
So, it’s safe to say that the plague never went away, in fact the World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are between 1,000 and 2,000 cases worldwide annually.
What are the symptoms of bubonic plague?
The first sign of bubonic plague is the manifestation of flu-like symptoms, which include fever, high temperatures and vomiting.
Then come swollen lymph nodes in the area where it was contracted. These may burst.
Plague is usually contracted from an infected flea bite but it can be passed from one person to another through cough droplets. That said, human to human transmission is rare.
How serious is the latest outbreak?
As with most things involving China and public health, it is hard to say.
Officials in Bayan Nur in the region of Inner Mongolia have banned hunting and eating potentially plague-carrying animals.
It is reported that there were four cases of bubonic plague at the end of last year, but just one in this current incident.
The good news
Unlike at the time of the Black Death, bubonic plague can now be treated with antibiotics.
If a patient is treated within 24 hours of first displaying symptoms their prognosis is pretty good.
As yet, there is no vaccine, although one is reportedly in development.
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