Mongolia’s National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD) reported Friday the confirmation of a human plague case in Khovd province in the western part of the country.
The patient contracted the disease after consuming marmot meat while visiting Ulaankhus soum in the neighboring Bayan-Ulgii province.
Mongolia has reported several cases of bubonic plague in recent years during this period, including fatal infections.
Plague Doctor MaskPeople can also get infected through direct contact with an infected animal, through inhalation and in the case of pneumonic plague, person to person.
There are three forms of human plague; bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.
Mongolia’s National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD) reported Friday the confirmation of a human plague case in Khovd province in the western part of the country.
The patient contracted the disease after consuming marmot meat while visiting Ulaankhus soum in the neighboring Bayan-Ulgii province.
The NCZD issued a public warning urging people to avoid hunting or capturing marmots, handling their meat or internal organs, and coming into contact with dead or sick rodents.
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Health officials noted that the risk of plague transmission generally increases during the summer months, when more people travel to rural areas and some consume marmot meat. Mongolia has reported several cases of bubonic plague in recent years during this period, including fatal infections.
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The NCZD said that 17 of Mongolia’s 21 provinces are currently classified as plague-risk areas, highlighting the continued need for public awareness and preventive measures.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It is found in animals throughout the world, most commonly rats but other rodents like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, rabbits and marmots. Fleas typically serve as the vector for plague.
Plague Doctor Mask
People can also get infected through direct contact with an infected animal, through inhalation and in the case of pneumonic plague, person to person.
Yersinia pestis is treatable with antibiotics if started early enough.
There are three forms of human plague; bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.
