Third case of plague linked to Black Death found in China after hunter eats wild rabbit

Joshua Bote | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Chinese hunter gets bubonic plague after eating a wild rabbit A Chinese hunter catches the bubonic plague after eating a wild rabbit.

A case of bubonic plague, the disease linked to the Black Death, was reported Sunday in China.

The patient hunted and ate a wild rabbit Nov. 5, which might have caused the plague, per Chinese state media Xinhua. The individual is from Xilingol in Inner Mongolia. The person was not identified by Chinese officials.

An additional 28 people found to be in contact with the patient were put in medical quarantine out of precaution by the local health commission. None of them have shown symptoms of the plague yet.

This comes after the case of two people diagnosed with pneumonic plague in Xilingol last week. They have since received “proper treatment” at Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing.

They've been treated: 2 people in China infected with plague, the disease tied to Black Death

Authorities state that there is no connection between these two cases.

A Mongolian couple died earlier this year after eating raw marmot meat, which is believed to cause good health in the region.

Bubonic plague can be transmitted via infected fleas and animals, like prairie dogs, squirrels, rats and rabbits, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Swollen, painful lymph nodes, usually in the groin, armpit or neck, are the main symptom of the bubonic plague, the CDC says. Fever, chills, headache, and extreme exhaustion are also possible symptoms of the plague.

Contributing: Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY. Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote