On Sunday, news broke that a case of the bubonic plague was reported in Bayannur, China, a city north of Beijing.
According to Xinhua, the case was reported on Saturday and the Bayannur municipal commission has urged residents to increase self-protection to avoid person-to-person spread. Bayannur is currently under a third-level warning in order to control the spread of the plague. The person who contracted the plague is currently in isolation and being treated at a local hospital.
Here’s What You Should Know About The Bubonic Plague
The bubonic plague caused the Black Death pandemic that killed 50 million Europeans in the Middle Ages. Currently, there are antibiotics available to treat plague, but only if administered quickly. Humans are able to contract plague through rodent fleas that carry the bacteria or through handling animals with the plague.
Symptoms of the plague include swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. While this case of the plague is alarming to most, there have been cases of the plague reported each year in rural parts of the United States in addition to regions of Asia and Africa.
Though it is rare to contract the plague, it has remained a threat across the world. From 2010 to 2015, there were 3248 cases reported globally, according to the WHO. However, it should be considered that this number does not include unreported cases of the plague.