The death of a boy in Kyrgyzstan last week has resulted in fear that there might be a bubonic plague outbreak.The 15-year-old died in a hospital last week after eating the meat of a marmot that was infected with the disease. According to a report by the Guardian, all 100 people who may have been exposed to the plague after encountering the teen have been quarantined. The Mirror says that his body was burned and was buried excericising "special precautions."
The bubonic plague comes from bacteria residing in flea guts. From there, it's transferred to other animals through flea bites. The bubonic plague is believed to have spawned the Black Death, which killed millions of people in Europe back in the middle ages. The teenager's death was the first reported case of the bubonic plague Kyrgyzstan had witnessed in 30 years.
[via Business Insider, the Guardian and Mirror]
