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Fatal plague in Qinghai brought under control
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-10-29 00:42
An outbreak of plague in Northwest China that killed eight villagers is
reportedly under control.
A total of 19 plague cases were reported across four counties in the central
and eastern parts of Qinghai Province between October 4 and 9, said a Ministry
of Health spokesman Thursday.
No outbreaks have been detected in other areas, said the spokesman.
Eight people died, while the 11 who survived have all recovered, said a
circular issued by the provincial health bureau on Wednesday.
The majority of the infected were farmers and herdsmen who caught the disease
after killing or eating wild marmots, says the circular.
However, the cause of several cases in Nangqen County is still under
investigation.
The counties of Ulan, Huangyuan and Madoi have lifted medical quarantine. And
Nangqen is expected to come out of isolation soon, says the circular.
After the outbreak, the Ministry of Health sent a work team to the affected
areas to offer medical guidance, said the spokesman.
The Qinghai Provincial Health Bureau also took a series of measures to
distribute medicine and curb the spread of the disease, and strengthen the
supervision on the marmot market.
Marmots are related to gophers and prairie dogs. They usually live in the
grasslands of China's northwestern regions and Mongolia, where villagers often
hunt them for meat.
Late in August, the Ministry of Health reported two plague cases in Qinghai
and its neighbouring Gansu Province. One person died.
Plague is a somewhat general term that applies to a number of contagious
often fatal bacterial diseases transmitted by fleas from infected rats and by
contact with infected blood or tissue.
The most common form, bubonic plague, can cause high fever, delirium and
swollen lymph nodes.
The ministry spokesman said some grassroots medical workers do not have a
full awareness of the importance of plague prevention and control and some
plague cases were not found and reported in time.
He said the ministry has ordered the local health authorities to improve
their plague monitoring system and draw up an emergency plan against plague
outbreaks.
Cases of rats and marmots dying of plague, suspected plague patients and
cases of high-fever without a known reason must all be reported to the ministry
in time, said the spokesman.
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