China has reported one case of bubonic plague in northern Inner Mongolia, Bloomberg reports.
The patient is currently receiving treatment and in a stable condition, according to a July 5 statement from the Bayannur health commission. A level-three alert was issued for the area, along with a warning about human transmission and a call for citizens to report dead animals, suspected plague cases and patients experiencing a fever for unknown reasons.
The bacterial infection, characterized by painful swollen lymph nodes, killed 50 million people in Europe during a 14th century outbreak, along with about 12 million globally in the 19th century. The infection occurs when an infected flea bites a person or when materials contaminated with the pathogen enter through a break in the skin. The plague can be treated with antibiotics.
Mongolia reported two cases of bubonic plague recently, prompting a quarantine in the province that borders China and Russia.