Feeding groundhogs has become a trend, but experts warn against it! This cute groundhog is the source of the Black Death

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Health Commission announced on the 22nd that on August 21, a case of plague (bubonic plague) was confirmed at the Ningxia Medical University General Hospital.

1. Is feeding groundhogs a trend on TikTok and Kuaishou? Experts say it is not advisable

Someone posted a short video online, showing a little girl in Sichuan feeding a marmot with a drink. As she was feeding the drink, the words "gurgle gurgle" were also shown in the video. Many netizens left comments, saying that the marmot was very cute and calling for loving nature and protecting animals.

There are many short videos posted on short video platforms such as Kuaishou and Douyin showing people interacting with marmots, including feeding them with their hands, giving them water, and feeding them a variety of food, including cabbage, steamed buns, cucumbers, cakes, etc.
Feeding marmots with bare hands has become a popular activity on the plateau. "Cute" and "super cute" are the key words. By feeding marmots with bare hands, many people believe that it is a manifestation of the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.
Is feeding groundhogs a trend on TikTok and Kuaishou? Experts urge: Not advisable!
The Sichuan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention once pointed out in a document that "Himalayan marmots (commonly known as groundhogs) are one of the main hosts for the spread of plague. The strains carried by marmots are the most pathogenic and most likely to cause death among the strains found in our country."

Plague develops quickly and has a high mortality rate, ranking first among infectious diseases. It is mainly transmitted through contact with vectors and droplets. The cute groundhog is a stable reservoir of plague bacteria and has a high rate of carrying bacteria.

2. How does plague spread?

1. Source of infection

For animals and patients with pneumonic plague, common host animals include rodents and wild carnivores, such as gray marmots, red marmots, Himalayan marmots and long-tailed ground mice.

2. Transmission channels

(1) The mode of transmission of the disease through flea bites is rat-flea-human, that is, fleas bite infected rats and then bite humans, or skin and eat infected marmots or other infected animals. This mode of transmission often causes bubonic plague or septicemic plague.

(2) Human-to-human transmission, that is, healthy people come into contact with patients with pneumonic plague and are infected through inhalation through the respiratory tract. This method of infection mainly causes pneumonic plague.

3. Susceptible population

People are generally susceptible to plague. People working outdoors in epidemic areas or hunters and herders who hunt and skin marmots are more likely to come into contact with infected animals and are more likely to be infected than the general population.

3. Why is plague a highly contagious disease?

Plague, once known internationally as the "Black Death", is a highly contagious disease caused by infection with Yersinia pestis. It is also a Class A infectious disease among my country's statutory infectious diseases, ranking first among the 39 statutory infectious diseases.

The main clinical types include bubonic plague, pneumonic plague and septicemic plague. Other types of plague such as cutaneous plague, intestinal plague, tonsillar plague are relatively rare.

Whether it is bubonic plague or other types of plague, it is listed as the first of the legal infectious diseases because of its rapid onset and high mortality rate. Once a human is infected with bubonic plague, if not treated, he will generally die in about a week.

As a natural epidemic source (even without the participation of humans or domestic animals, it can infect the host through the transmission medium and cause an epidemic), plague is mainly prevalent among rodents. Clinical manifestations include high fever, swollen and painful lymph nodes, cough, sputum, difficulty breathing, bleeding, and other severe blood poisoning symptoms.

4. How to prevent plague?

1. Avoid traveling or activities in epidemic areas and avoid contact with rodents (such as rats and marmots);

2. Avoid close contact with patients with plague. When in contact with patients who may be infected with pneumonic plague, try to keep a distance of at least 1 meter from the patient, wear a mask, and wash hands frequently;

3. Take necessary measures to prevent flea bites and use insect repellents. Common mosquito repellents can generally repel fleas.

If you have been to an epidemic area, you should measure your body temperature for 2 weeks. If you suddenly develop any symptoms such as fever, chills, lymph node pain, cough, coughing up blood or bleeding, you should seek medical attention immediately and tell your doctor about your travel history to the epidemic area. Early antibiotic treatment is more effective.