Russian authorities on Tuesday called on residents of regions close to China and Mongolia to no longer hunt and consume groundhogs after the discovery of cases of bubonic plague in these two countries.
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In a press release published on its official website, the Siberian Republic of Touva urged its inhabitants to " be vigilant " after the discovery of these cases of bubonic plague. " We recommend that residents of the Republic take measures against insects, refrain from hunting groundhogs and eat meat, " said the statement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday closely following several cases of bubonic plague identified in recent days in China. The Russian health agency Rospotrebnadzor also announced on Monday that it had toured the neighboring Altai region to remind farmers of the dangers of this practice, especially in the isolated district of Koch-Agatch.
The last case of bubonic plague dates back to 2016
The inspectors " prevent the illegal hunting of marmots and issue health reminders to breeders, " said Rospotrebnadzor, quoted by the public news agency TASS. The health agency, however, assured Tuesday that " there is no risk of plague in Russia " at present. Groundhogs are likely to carry the Yersinia pestis bacteria, responsible for the plague. In Mongolia, at least one person dies every year from this disease, often after eating this meat.
Cases are rarer in Russia: according to TASS, the last recorded case dates back to 2016. The victim, a 10-year-old boy unvaccinated, had been able to be saved. The authorities also conduct annual vaccination campaigns. According to the government daily Rossiïskaïa Gazeta, a mobile laboratory was thus deployed in the district of Koch-Agatch where 16,500 people were vaccinated before the start of the hunting season.
Authorities in Bayannur, located in Inner Mongolia in northern China, said they discovered a case of bubonic plague this weekend. Another suspect case involving a 15-year-old boy was reported in neighboring Mongolia on Monday.