According to the official notification from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Health and Health Commission, on July 19, 2022, a case of imported primary plague (bubonic plague) was confirmed in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University.
According to the report, the patient Liu Moumou, male, 45 years old, lives in Shanghai Temple Ranch, Ordos (600295) City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is a herdsman.
Around 9:00 on July 12, the patient consciously had fever, fatigue, confusion, watery diarrhea, and returned to Yinchuan from Inner Mongolia, and was treated at the Third People’s Hospital of Yinchuan City , At around 11:00 on July 13, he went to the Fourth People’s Hospital of the Autonomous Region, and on July 14, he went to the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University.
A suspected case of plague was diagnosed on July 19, and a case of plague was confirmed on the same day.
According to the requirements of the emergency plan for plague control in Ningxia Autonomous Region, from 23:00 on July 19, 2022, a four-level emergency response has been activated.
Relevant regions and units have fully activated the emergency response mechanism in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and have adopted strict classification control measures for epidemic-related areas and personnel. progress in an orderly manner.
Currently, all efforts are being made to treat patients and comprehensively implement comprehensive prevention and control measures to ensure that the epidemic does not spread or spread.
What is plague?
Plague is a natural foci disease caused by Yersinia pestis, usually among rodents and occasionally in humans. Class A infectious diseases stipulated in the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.
Plague has rapid onset, short course of disease, high mortality, strong infectivity and rapid spread. Especially septicemic plague and pneumonic plague, if left untreated, the case fatality rate is 30%-100%. The incubation period of the plague is short, generally 1-6 days, but up to 8-9 days in individual cases.
The main routes of transmission are:
transmitted by flea bites
The first cases of human plague are mostly caused by flea bites.
Transmitted by direct contact
Human through hunting, slaughtering, skinning and eating meat Infected by direct contact with infected animals, enteric plague can occur by eating undercooked dead animals (such as marmots, rabbits, Tibetan sheep, etc.).
Transmitted by droplets
The respiratory secretions of patients with pneumonic plague or animals contain large amounts of Yersinia pestis, forms bacterial particles and aerosols, causing the spread of pneumonic plague.
What types of plague are there?
There are two main types of plague, depending on the route of infection: glandular and pulmonary. Both types of plague can be cured if diagnosed early.
The glandular form is the most common form of plague worldwide and is caused by the bite of infected fleas. The bacterium Yersinia pestis (Yersinia pestis) enters the body from the bite, invades the regional lymph nodes through the lymphatic system, and reproduces in the lymph nodes, causing the lymph nodes to become inflamed, swollen, and painful, called “inflammatory lymphadenoma.” Later in the infection, lymphadenitis may develop purulent lesions that develop into open ulcers. Human-to-human transmission of bubonic plague is rare. Bubonic plague, which can progress to the lungs, is called pneumonic plague and is a more severe form of plague.
Pulmonary or pneumonic plague is the most rapidly developing type of plague, with an incubation period as short as 24 hours. Anyone infected with pneumonic plague can spread the virus to others through droplets. Pneumonic plague is fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly, but cure rates are high if detected and treated promptly (within 24 hours of onset of symptoms).
What is the prevalence of plague in my country?
In history, the plague had three worldwide pandemics, once known as the “Black Death”, causing serious loss of human life and health.
From the end of the 19th century to the founding of New China, six pandemics occurred in our country, affecting more than 20 provinces (regions), and the plague epidemic was very serious. After the founding of New China, the Chinese government attached great importance to the prevention and control of plague, and the number of cases dropped significantly. By the 1980s, an average of about 20 cases were reported each year. In the 1990s, the plague epidemic in southern my country experienced a brief rise. The sporadic case reports are mainly concentrated in some provinces in northwestern my country.
Where is the plague at home and abroad?
The source of plague infection is infected animals and pneumonic plague patients, and the host animals are commonly rodents and wild carnivores, such as gray marmots, red marmots, and Himalayan marmots and long-tailed squirrels.
As shown in the picture below, there are animals that can spread the plague in the areas marked in color. Therefore, when traveling to these areas, avoid contact with marmots or other rodents, and avoid being bitten by fleas.
Abroad, the plague is distributed in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. But the plague outbreaks in recent years have mainly occurred in African regions, such as Madagascar, a tourist resort.
What are the symptoms of plague?
Typical symptoms are sudden fever, chills, headache and body aches, weakness, nausea and vomiting. Bubonic plague can cause painful and inflamed lymph nodes. Symptoms appear soon after infection with pneumonic plague (sometimes within 24 hours), with severe respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath and cough, often with bloody sputum.
Suspected of plague, what should I do?
Once you suspect that you have the plague, whether you are sure or not, stay away from people, preferably in a separate room. Immediately call 120 and inform yourself that it may be plague, describe the condition, and wait for rescue.
If you cannot call for help in the wild, you should choose the nearest hospital (village doctors and township health centers are fine). All doctors will report when they see the plague, and you’ll getThe best treatment in the country.
Don’t think about going to a big hospital by yourself in the wild or during play, it will not only infect others along the way, but also delay your treatment.
Plague is treatable
Plague is an ancient bacterial infectious disease. Clinically, a variety of effective antibiotics can be used for treatment. If the patient can see a doctor early and receive standardized and effective treatment, the cure rate is very high. Suspected contacts can also be prevented by taking preventive medication.
How can the plague be prevented?
1. Avoid travel or activities in epidemic areas, and avoid contact with rodents (such as rodents, marmots);
< p>2. Avoid close contact with patients with plague. When in contact with patients who may be infected with plague, try to keep a distance of more than 1 meter from the patient, wear a mask, and wash your hands frequently; p>
3. Take necessary measures to prevent flea bites and use repellents. Commonly used repellents can generally drive away fleas;
4. If If you have been to the epidemic area, you should check your body temperature for 2 weeks. If you suddenly have any symptoms such as fever, chills, lymph node pain, cough, hemoptysis or bleeding, you should seek medical attention immediately and inform the doctor of your travel history to the epidemic area and the effect of early antibiotic treatment. better.
5. Those who are in close contact with patients with plague should take preventive medicine as soon as possible. Sulfonamide preparations can be taken, 2 grams for the first time for adults, and 1 gram for the next 4-6 hours, usually for 5 days.
Integrated Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Health Commission official website, Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China News Network