Russia monitoring bubonic plague situation in Mongolia, China - public health watchdog
MOSCOW. July 6 (Interfax) - Russia is constantly working to minimize the danger of the importation and spread of bubonic plague in light of new cases of the disease being recorded in Mongolia, and it stands ready to provide extra scientific and practical assistance to that country's specialized institutions, Russia's Federal Service for Health and Consumer Rights (Rospotrebnadzor) said on Monday.
"Rospotrebnadzor is keeping the situation regarding plague and other infectious diseases dangerous to humans in the transboundary areas under its control," Rospotrebnadzor told Interfax in response to its questions.
Rospotrebnadzor is working on a permanent basis to minimize the danger of the importation and spread of bubonic plague, including by monitoring the situation in neighboring countries, it said.
Two cases of bubonic plague in humans had been recorded in the province of Khovd in the western part of Mongolia and one case in the city of Bayannur in China's Inner Mongolia as of July 5. This area is located some 1,000 kilometers away from Russia's border. Four bubonic plague cases among local residents were recorded in the fall of 2019.
"The infections were recorded in a natural plague spot amid an epizooty of groundhogs, which are the principal reservoirs of infection in that area. Specialists have introduced a system of anti-epidemic measures," Rospotrebnadzor said.
Local authorities are conducting the necessary procedures, and Rospotrebnadzor is working together with specialized agencies of the neighboring countries, it said.
Russia has been considering providing extra scientific and practical assistance to the relevant Mongolian institutions, Rospotrebnadzor said.
Rospotrebnadzor pointed out that natural plague spots exist not only in China and Mongolia, but also in Russia, and they are permanently monitored by specialists.
"Natural plague spots exist in the Russian Federation border areas with Mongolia and China, which Rospotrebnadzor's specialized institutions monitor permanently. All procedures, including epizootic monitoring, immunization of the population, rodent control, and extermination of other pests, are carried out in natural plague spots, fully in line with the integrated plans," it said.
Chinese media reported earlier on Monday that another bubonic plague case had been recorded in the province of Bayan-Olgii in the west of Mongolia, as a 15-year-old patient contracted the infection after eating a groundhog. Before that, two cases had been recorded in the west of Mongolia and one in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in northern China.
Cases of bubonic plague are recorded from time to time in Mongolia and China. Rospotrebnadzor announced in May 2019 that it was tightening quarantine control at the border with Mongolia after infections in Bayan-Olgii were recorded. Rospotrebnadzor also issued a warning to Russians after an infection was recorded in Inner Mongolia in November 2019.