Chinese city sealed off after bubonic plague death

The Guardian ^

[TigerClaws]

A Chinese city has been sealed off and 151 people have been placed in quarantine since last week after a man died of bubonic plague, state media said.

The 30,000 residents of Yumen, in the north-western province of Gansu, are not being allowed to leave, and police at roadblocks on the perimeter of the city are telling motorists to find alternative routes, China Central Television (CCTV) said.

A 38-year-old man died last Wednesday, the report said, after he had been in contact with a dead marmot, a small furry animal related to the squirrel. No further plague cases have been reported.

CCTV said officials were not allowing anyone to leave. The China Daily newspaper said four quarantine sectors had been set up in the city.

[TigerClaws]

Open borders ping!

[BitWielder1]

As heavy handed as it seems, what the Chinese are doing makes much more sense than what we're doing on the border, practically inviting the plague.

[Veggie Todd]

A 38-year-old man died last Wednesday, the report said, after he had been in contact with a dead marmot...

Note to self: Don't hug dead marmots.

[listenhillary]

You’re making an assumption that he hugged the marmot.

[Kartographer]

I don’t believe it to be heavy handed at all, but very responsible and prudent. Of course it is very un-PC and here in American it would be allowed to run ramped and kill all in the equality and fairness.

[BuffaloJack]

Marmot. That’s another name for a woodchuck.

[saleman]

“You’re making an assumption that he hugged the marmot.”

I was just scrolling through the latest posts and came across this comment.

First time I’ve ever seen it. Probably the last. Not the kind of statement you run across every day.....

[GraceG]

Probably ate it...

[bgill]

husein probably sent the guy a fruit basket and a one way ticket to the US.

[NormsRevenge]

so, should people also be extra careful handling birds nests for fear of contracting bird squirt flu?

btw,, what’s ‘in contact with’ anyway? smoke signals, emails?

maybe they were texting and marmot sent virus. :-}

I hear ya on the hugging thing. uggghhh.

[IYAS9YAS]

As heavy handed as it seems, what the Chinese are doing makes much more sense than what we're doing on the border, practically inviting the plague.

The plague is easily treatable with antibiotics. There are cases of the plague in the United States every year (usually in the southwest). It's still here, it just isn't as fatal as it used to be.

[VanShuyten]

“A Chinese city has been sealed off and 151 people have been placed in quarantine since last week after a man died of ......”

Although not this time, this is how I expect to see news reports of the next big pandemic starting

[The Working Man]

I had to laugh to myself, Do you have any idea how many “zombie” themed books start off with similar news stories. It’s really interesting to see it in real life.