As the world is still struggling to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been high alert in North China after a couple of Plague cases were confirmed in persons who had eaten undercooked Marmot meat. These are rodents belonging to a variety of ground squirrels and a couple of cases of plague have also been reported from Mongolia.
Russian officials are warning people in Siberia not to hunt Marmots there. But why are people so much afraid of plague worldwide?
Well, it is mostly for historical reasons as well as because it is estimated that one plague case can infect 5 to 7 persons, hence epidemic levels can be reached very quickly. Well, let’s look at the history of the disease. There is evidence from tomb remains that the Bronze Age around 3000 BC. The first recorded plague pandemic began with the Plague of Justinian killing an estimated 100 million people between 541–549 AD affecting the....
