There’s a suspected case of the bubonic plague in Bayan Nur, a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia. Yes, this is the plague that’s caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, that can be transmitted to humans after fleas bite infected rodents. Yes, that’s fleas biting animals like rats, mice, and marmots. Yes, fleas biting rats is not a pretty picture. Yes, Yersinia pestis is also what caused the “Black Death” that killed over 50 million people in Europe in the mid-1300s. Yes, there were four other cases of the plague in Inner Mongolia just last November.
So why did authorities in Bayan Nur call for only a third-level alert, rather than a first or second-level alert? As Reuters reported, a third-level alert “forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague and asks the public to report any suspected cases of plague or fever with no clear causes, and to report any sick or dead marmots.” Not exactly an “oh bleep” or “2020 what are doing to us” response.
Well, after all it’s just the plague. No need to panic. This isn’t the 1300’s. There are now antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline and ciprofloxacin that can readily treat the plague, assuming that they are administered in time.
A friend pointed out to me that there’s bubonic plague in Reno. Apparently there are signs in parks warning about it. It has infect squirrels and other rodents.
-------------------------------- If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.
Posts: 33811 | Location: On the Hudson | Registered: 20 April 2005
