DE FAAKTO OUTBREAK INTELLIGENCE
SITUATION-MONGOLIA BUBONIC PLAGUE
BACKGROUND-MONGOLIA IMPOSES QUARANTINE SUSPECTED DEATHS-BUBONIC PLAGUE
Xinhua News Asia & Pacific is Reporting,
Key Points
- Mongolia imposes quarantine after deaths from suspected plague
- A district of the western Mongolian province of Bayan-Ulgii has been quarantined after two people died of suspected bubonic plague, local media reported Wednesday
- A couple died in suspicious circumstances in Ulgii district of the western province in late April, the province’s emergency management department as saying
- Preliminary test results show that bubonic plague likely caused the deaths of the two people
- The province’s office has declared an indefinite quarantine in Ulgii soum, further investigation of the case is still underway
- The plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots
- The disease can kill an adult in fewer than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization (Xinhua News)
About Bubonic Plague
- Plague is an infectious disease that affects animals and humans
- It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis
- This bacterium is found in rodents and their fleas and occurs in many areas of the world, including the United States
- Y. pestis is easily destroyed by sunlight and drying
- When released into air, the bacterium will survive for up to one hour, although this could vary depending on conditions (CDC)
- Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague
- This occurs when an infected flea bites a person or when materials contaminated with Y. pestis enter through a break in a person’s skin
- Patients develop swollen, tender lymph glands (called buboes) and fever, headache, chills, and weakness.
- Bubonic plague does not spread from person to person (CDC)
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis is made by taking samples from the patient, especially blood or part of a swollen lymph gland, and submitting them for laboratory testing
- Once plague has been identified as a possible cause of the illness, appropriate treatment should begin immediately (CDC)
Treatment
- Plague is a very serious illness, but is treatable with commonly available antibiotics
- The earlier a patient seeks medical care and receives treatment that is appropriate for plague, the better their chances are of a full recovery
- People in close contact with very sick pneumonic plague patients may be evaluated and possibly placed under observation
- Preventive antibiotic therapy may also be given, depending on the type and timing of personal contact (CDC)
Xinhua News Asia & Pacific http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-05/01/c_138027120.htm
Center for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/plague/diagnosis/index.html
Center for Disease Control https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/plague/factsheet.asp