The Ministry of Health of Belarus recommends that citizens refrain from traveling to Qinghai Province, China, due to an outbreak of pneumonic plague.

August 5, Minsk / BELTA /. Belarusian medics recommend citizens to refrain from traveling to Qinghai Province of the People's Republic of China due to an outbreak of pneumonic plague, the press service of the Ministry of Health told BELTA. In the city of Ziqingtan (Qinghai Province in northwestern China) with a population of 10,000, an outbreak of the deadly disease - pneumonic plague - has been registered since July 30, 2009. As of August 4, three patients have died. Another 11 people have been hospitalized, their condition is assessed as stable. Chinese authorities are taking necessary measures to isolate the affected individuals, the city has been closed for quarantine, and groups of medical experts have been sent to the city to provide assistance. The Ministry of Health of Belarus is monitoring the situation and taking necessary preventive measures to prevent the introduction of this disease into the country. Pneumonic plague has a more acute course than other forms of plague and is characterized by higher mortality. The main carriers of the disease are rodents and insects that feed on their blood. Pneumonic plague is a deadly disease transmitted by airborne droplets. The incubation period of pneumonic plague can be as short as 24 hours. -0-