Authorities in China are on alert for another virus outbreak, but this time it’s not Covid-19.
The Chinese region of Inner Mongolia has a suspected case of bubonic plague, reports the state-run Xinhua news agency.
It was discovered the city of Bayannur, where a citywide Level 3 warning was issued.
The warning will remain until the end of the year.
The Plague is transmitted through flea bites and infected animals.
"At present, there is a risk of a human plague epidemic spreading in this city. The public should improve its self-protection awareness and ability, and report abnormal health conditions promptly," the local health authority said, China Daily reported.
It brought the Black Death to Europe in the Middle Ages, wiping out about 50 million people.
Although the virus hasn’t been totally eradicated, modern day antibiotics can prevent large scale deaths if caught early enough.
Still, the very name is enough to strike fear into people due to its history.
The WHO says about 1,000 people get the plague every year and is mostly found in the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru.
There are sporadic cases elsewhere around the world and two people died of the Plague in the US in 2015.
