No epidemic despite new plague case

Less than a week after two people from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region were quarantined in a hospital in Beijing after being diagnosed with pneumonic plague, health officials in the region confirmed on Sunday reports of a case of bubonic plague.

While the news may have fueled the anxieties of those who fear an epidemic like that in Europe in the 14th century that killed tens of millions of people, the cases do not seem to be linked and there is no indication of an epidemic.

The Inner Mongolia health authorities said they have found no evidence to connect the latest case with the two earlier ones. And thanks to the use of antibiotics, which can treat almost all forms of the plague in their early stages, there is little likelihood of the disease spreading as those who have been in close contact with the three have been given preventative medicine and are being closely monitored.

Yet the way the newly diagnosed patient contracted the disease still rings alarm bells. The 55-year-old male quarry worker in Xilin Gol League was said to have earlier in the month skinned and eaten a wild rabbit, which is one of the major carriers of the bacteria that cause the plague. It is sad that some people are still ignorant about the basic health precautions necessary to reduce risks of diseases spreading from wild animals to humans.

A heavy price－in the loss of hundreds of human lives－was paid 16 years ago during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak, which scientists have proved spread to humans from civet cats slaughtered for their meat.

The plague is caused by bacteria and is less contagious than SARS, which was caused by a virus. And considering the short incubation period for the plague, usually three to five days, if there was an epidemic, more cases would have been identified.

But just because it seems to be isolated infections and the plague is treatable does not mean we can relax our vigilance against the disease, especially as some new developments heighten the risk of an outbreak. For example, the rising number of reported cases this year has been attributed to the rising rodent populations after persistent droughts, worsened by climate change.

Propagation of scientific knowledge about the plague and timely disclosure of all information is the best way to dispel any fears that may arise from rumors and hearsay. It is therefore an urgent task for the health authorities to raise public awareness of disease control and prevention.