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Official: Marmot plague risk growing
By Zhang Jin and Zuo Likun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-17 11:30
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Xining – China is organizing a team of experts to assess the possibility of a marmot plague in Yushu, as an official said on Friday the possibility is increasing due to the quake.
Himalayan marmots, high-altitude animals that spread plague, may come out of hibernation earlier due to the 7.1-magnitude earthquake, Jie Xuehui, vice-director of the health department of Qinghai, told reporters at a press conference.
These marmots usually end the hibernation in May and Yushu is a natural source of marmot plague, he said.
So "the risk of a marmot plague is growing," he said.
The provincial health department has sent 16 disease prevention officers and 10 rat control experts to Yushu by Thursday.
