An overview of the first human case of Bubonic plague detected in Bugat settlement, Gobi-Altai province in Mongolia

Authors

  • Rohan Toole Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Australia
  • Dr. Kapil Swamy Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Australia
  • Dr. Aye Moa Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4274-6241
  • Dr. Ashley Quigley Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3800-654X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.246

Abstract

On June 27th, 2023, Mongolia registered its first case of bubonic plague in the Bugat settlement, Gobi-Altai province. Cases in this outbreak are widespread throughout the country with multiple close contacts identified and monitored. Environmental surveillance, including the testing of marmots, picked up the presence of Yersinia Pestis in many samples prior to the beginning of the outbreak. Marmots are seen as a delicacy in Mongolia which presents a challenge when preventing animal to human transmission of bubonic plague via the consumption of raw undercooked marmot meat. Although bubonic plague is endemic in Mongolia, cases are often sporadic and mostly registered in the western provinces of the region however, one case was recorded in the capital city of Ulan Bator on the eastern side of the country. The nature of this outbreak highlights the importance of effective preventive measures such as, PPE, awareness campaigns, health literacy and safe food handling practices.

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Published

2024-05-31

How to Cite

Toole, R., Swamy, K., Moa, A., & Quigley, A. (2024). An overview of the first human case of Bubonic plague detected in Bugat settlement, Gobi-Altai province in Mongolia. Global Biosecurity, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.246

Issue

Vol. 6 (2024)

Section

Watching Briefs

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Copyright (c) 2024 The Author(s)

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Received 2023-12-06
Accepted 2024-04-24
Published 2024-05-31