PLAGUE – MONGOLIA (03): (ULAANBAATAR) BUBONIC, MARMOT MEAT
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Source: Xinhua [edited] https://english.news.cn/20230814/f15e29f0bca94722b95c956e12098585/c.html
Three suspected cases of bubonic plague have been reported in
Mongolia’s capital here, the country’s National Center for Zoonotic
Diseases (NCZD) said Monday [14 Aug 2023].
The suspected cases are people who have recently eaten marmot meat in
the eastern provinces of Khentii and Sukhbaatar, the NCZD said, adding
that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are now being conducted to
confirm the diagnosis.
Although hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many Mongolians
regard the rodent as a delicacy and ignore the law.
On 8 Aug [2023], one case of bubonic plague was confirmed in Ulan
Bator [Ulaanbaatar], which is home to over half of the country’s 3.4
million population.
Seventeen out of all the 21 Mongolian provinces are now at risk of the
bubonic plague, according to the NCZD.
The bubonic plague is a bacterial disease that can be spread by fleas
living on wild rodents such as marmots and can kill an adult in less
than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health
Organization.
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