First Case Report of Human Plague Caused by Excavation, Skinning, and Eating of a Hibernating Marmot (Marmota himalayana)

Frontiers in Public Health

卷:10

Lei Meng¹  Jinxiao Xi¹  Daqin Xu¹  Li Wang²  Yuhuang Chen³  Junrong Liang⁴  Meng Xiao⁴  Zhaokai He⁴  Ran Duan⁴  Weiwei Wu⁴  Dongyue Lv⁴  Xin Wang⁴  Huaiqi Jing⁴  Hui Mu⁴  Shuai Qin⁴  Deming Tang⁴  Guoming Fu⁵  Hua Chun⁵ 

[1] Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou, China;

[2] Jiuquan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, China;

[3] Shenzhen Nanshan Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China;

[4] State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China;

[5] Subei Mongolian Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, China;

关键词: hibernation;    plague control;    Yersinia pestis;    Marmota himalayana;    case report;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2022.910872

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionThe Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is considered the most plague-heavy region in China, and skinning and eating marmots (Marmota himalayana) are understood to be the main exposure factors to plague. Yersinia pestis is relatively inactive during marmots' hibernation period. However, this case report shows plague infection risk is not reduced but rather increased during the marmot hibernation period if plague exposure is not brought under control.Case PresentationThe patient was a 45-year-old man who presented with high fever, swelling of axillary lymph nodes, and existing hand wounds on his right side. Y. pestis was isolated from his blood and lymphatic fluid. Hence, the patient was diagnosed with a confirmed case of bubonic plague. Later, his condition progressed to septicemic plague. Plague exposure through wounds and delays in appropriate treatment might have contributed to plague progression.ConclusionThis case report reveals that excavating a hibernating marmot is a significant transmission route of plague. Plague prevention and control measures are priority needs during the marmot hibernation period.

【 授权许可】

Unknown