Bubonic plague fears as medics in decontamination suits storm quarantined plane and rush ‘infected’ passengers to hospital
Russia has closed frontier checkpoints, leaving foreign tourists stranded in Mongolia
MEDICS in anti-contamination suits raided a plane in Mongolia after a couple died of bubonic plague, resulting in Russia closing checkpoints.
Eleven passengers were removed from a flight at an airport in the capital Ulaanbaatar and sent immediately for hospital checks.
The husband and wife who died had reportedly eaten contaminated marmot meat. Bubonic plague is a highly contagious bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents.
Other passengers on board the potentially infected plane were examined in a special facility at the airport.
Paramedics in anti-contamination boarded the flight from provincial outposts Bayan, Uglii and Khovd as soon as it landed.
TOURISTS STRANDED
Some frontier checkpoints with Russia are reported to have been closed leading to foreign tourists being stranded in Mongolia.
Around 158 people have been put under intensive medical supervision in Bayan-Ulgii province after coming into contact directly or indirectly with the couple who died.
A man named Citizen T, aged 38, died on 27 April after hunting and eating marmot.
His pregnant wife, 37, died three days later, reported .
Their four children were orphaned.
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Bubonic plague is believed to be the cause of the Black Death that spread through Asia, Europe and Africa in the 14th century, killing an estimated 50 million people.
The disease can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organisation.
