ISLAMABAD, July 9 (APP): As the COVID-19 pandemic rumbles on, the media is discussing news of bubonic plague in Inner Mongolia. Although the headlines appear ominous, the expert opinions below help put the story into perspective. Living through a pandemic has heightened the public’s interest in infectious diseases. Just 7 short months ago, none of us would have expected society to freeze in response to a highly contagious pathogen. Recent news of a case of plague in Inner Mongolia has sparked concerns far and wide. To a public embroiled in a pandemic, the word plague may invoke visions of medieval suffering. Plague is, by all accounts, a serious and unpleasant disease. Although it is most famous for causing The Black Death, the most fatal pandemic in recorded human history, it never truly disappeared. Caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis), the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that there are around 650 cases of plague each year globally. Most cases of plague occur in Asia and Africa, but rural parts of the Western United States register an average of seven cases each year. Plague can be fatal if left untreated, but modern antibiotics can treat it easily. The recent news … Continue reading Plague in Inner Mongolia, Should we be concerned?