China announces third plague danger: Does a new epidemic threaten the world?
'06.07.2020'
Source: Peopletalk
June 28 in Western Mongolia were two locals are hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of “bubonic plague” after eating raw groundhog meat. It is known that one of the patients - a girl - is in critical condition and had contact with at least 400 people at the beginning of the disease, writes Peopletalk.
The very next day, June 29, the National Center for the Study of Zoonotic Infections announced quarantine in the region, which would last indefinitely. At the same time, the Russian embassy claims that there is no threat to Russia bordering Mongolia - "local authorities took the necessary measures in a timely manner."
Later, on July 5, it became known that the bubonic plague was also confirmed by a pastoralist in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China.
“Before the disease, the patient was in the epidemiological focus of bubonic plague. Now the patient is undergoing isolated treatment, his condition is assessed as stable, ”said the Bayan Nur Health Committee.
Now the region has announced a third (increased) level of epidemiological warning: the authorities believe that there is a threat of spread of the disease among the population in the city, it is not recommended to hunt wild animals, and if there are cases of suspicion or suspicions, it is necessary to immediately report it. This regime will last until the beginning of 2021.
Recall that plague is a bacterial disease characterized by severe headache, fever with chills, darkening of complexion and inflammation of the lymph nodes. Against the background of lymph and lung damage, the development of sepsis begins (inflammatory processes throughout the body), due to which the blood supply to the organs is ultimately disturbed and death occurs.
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If the disease is detected early, it can be treated with antibiotics and anti-plague serum.
The disease enters the body after a bite of a flea or a plague-infected animal, through the mucous membranes or by airborne droplets.
In total, the world survived several plague epidemics: the first was back in the 100st century and claimed the lives of more than 000 people, from the second, in the 000th century, 40 people died, two more smaller ones hit humanity in the middle of the 000th century and the beginning of the 000th: then the death toll did not exceed 1.
The last major outbreak was recorded at the end of the 6th century in Asia (only 000 people died in India), but there are still cases of infection: in the same Mongolia, two people died in 000 from the plague.
Are we facing a new epidemic?
To this question "AiF" answered Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases of KrasSMU Tatyana Kuzmina:
“A person can pick up an infection through rodents and insects (even mosquitoes can be carriers). The last serious outbreak was in China five years ago. But there was no drift on the territory of Russia.
The causative agent is very sensitive to low temperatures. Therefore, it is good where it is warm.
Plague in modern conditions is successfully treated with antibiotics. The main thing is to start treatment on time ”.
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There is nothing surprising in the outbreak of bubonic plague in Mongolia and northern China, the infectious disease specialist, MD, Vladislav Zhemchugov, said. "MK". He noted that China and Mongolia for thousands of years have been natural foci of plague, as in Russia Altai, Tuva and the Irkutsk region.
There are services in China and Mongolia that specialize in the fight against plague. In general, outbreaks happen quite often. So, last year an outbreak of the plague was already in China, and a few years ago - in Altai.
Outbreaks are caused by eating rodents - marmots and ground squirrels, which are carriers of infection. As soon as something like this happens in China and Mongolia, troops are brought into the infected area and a complete quarantine is provided. It is also important to pay attention to the fact that the most serious level of epidemiological danger is the first of four, and now the third level has been introduced in Inner Mongolia, which says a lot about the situation, the specialist noted.
