China's Inner Mongolia reports two cases of bubonic plague

Most bubonic plague infections have been found in Inner Mongolia and the north-western Ningxia region in recent years. - PHOTO: UNSPLASH via The Straits Times/ANN

BEIJING (Reuters): China's northern region of Inner Mongolia reported two cases of bubonic plague on Saturday, following a previous infection that was detected on Aug. 7, the local government said.

The two people infected are the husband and daughter of the previous case, the government said in a statement on its website.

All close contacts have been quarantined and have shown no abnormal symptoms, according to the statement.

Cases of bubonic plague infection, a highly infectious disease that is spread mostly by rodents, are low in China, with most found in Inner Mongolia and northwestern Ningxia region in recent years.

Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague, which can be fatal if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organisation. - Reuters