Town disinfected after three die of pneumonic plague

AUTHORITIES killed rats and fleas yesterday as they disinfected a remote farming town in north-western China that was sealed off after three people died of pneumonic plague.

Police set up checkpoints around Ziketan in Qinghai province after the outbreak was first detected last Thursday. The lung infection is highly contagious and can kill a person in 24 hours if left untreated.

Medical staff are disinfecting the area and killing rodents and insects that can be carriers for the bacteria, a notice on the provincial health department website said. Authorities are keeping close track of people who came into contact with those infected.