ULAN BATOR, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- An administrative subdivision of Zavkhan province in western Mongolia is under quarantine for an indefinite period after a suspected case of bubonic plague was reported on Thursday, local government said Friday.
A 38-year-old resident of Tosontsengel soum has showed symptoms of high-grade fever and swollen glands after eating marmot meat last week. He is now under isolation at a local hospital.
So far, at least 25 people in close contact with the person have undergone quarantine at a local hospital.
Up to 17 out of all 21 provinces in Mongolia are now at risk of bubonic plague, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases.
Although hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many Mongolians regard the rodent as a delicacy.
A total of 18 suspected cases of bubonic plague have been reported across the country so far this year, with four confirmed by laboratory test results.
A 42-year-old man died of the bubonic plague in Khovd province last month, while a 15-year-old boy died of the plague in Govi-Altai province in western Mongolia in mid-July.
The plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots and can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization. Enditem
