Three more cases of the virus have now been discovered in the central Mongolian province of Uvurkhangai. With this new cluster of cases, the health ministry has confirmed that almost every province in the country now has an active outbreak. Due to its proximity on the border with China, there are increased concerns the deadly infectious disease may soon migrate across.
Dorj Narangerel, head of public relations and surveillance department of the health ministry said: “Three suspected cases of the plague are now under isolation at a local hospital.
“They are members of the same family or mother and her two children.”
This means 17 out of the 21 provinces in the country have now reported outbreaks.
Indeed, China had also reported outbreaks of the bubonic plague in the northern region of Inner Mongolia in July and earlier this month.
Due to the outbreak, China placed a lockdown on the region in order to stop a catastrophic pandemic spreading throughout the country again.
A death was reported in the city of Bayannur due to organ failure after contracting the deadly disease.
Authorities in his village of Bayannur said: “The place of residence of the deceased is locked down, and a comprehensive epidemiological investigation is being carried out.
“Currently, there is a risk of the human plague spreading in our city.”
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Such was the potency of the disease, it caused 50 million deaths across Europe in the Middle Ages.
The virus can cause a victim’s limbs or body parts to become blackened hence why it was called the Black Death.
Although the recent spike has been largely confined to South East Asia, a case was also reported in California.
A positive case was discovered in the Lake Tahoe region of the state earlier this month.
This was the first time any such case was reported in five years.
Health Officer Nancy Williams said: “Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County.
“It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking and/or camping in areas where wild rodents are present.
“Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious.”
Crucially, there is now treatment for the virus if it is detected early enough.
However, certain countries hunt rodents which are a core part of their diet.