Plague Strikes Qinghai: Glen has sniffles.

I was talking with friend and frequent Lost Laowai contributor Glen yesterday. He mentioned that he is currently hanging out in Xining, Qinghai, and while he has intentions of travelling more, his plans have been delayed as he is feeling under the weather.

And then I read this:

One dies of Pneumonic plague in NW China

XINING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — One died of pneumonic plague which infected eleven others in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, said the province’s health bureau.

The eleven infected, hospitalized in quarantined wards, are in stable conditions. Most of them are relatives of the dead, a 32-year-old herdsman, said a press release from Health Bureau of Qinghai Province.

The province sent a team of experts to the area and had the plague under control, said the release.

The local government quarantined the source of the plague, Ziketan town, and its vicinity. The area has sufficient supplies and the quarantine has not disrupted the basic needs of the locals, according to the release.

The health bureau demanded those who have fever and cough and have been to Ziketan town and its vicinity after July 16 to go to hospital.

Ziketan town, in Xinghai county of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, covers 3,000 square kilometers and has a population of 10,000.

JTFC, NW China’s had it rough of late – watch for locusts. Glen, I’m praying your sputum isn’t watery or bloody.