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BEIJING — Authorities killed rats and fleas on Tuesday as theydisinfected a town sealed off after three people died of pneumonicplague in a remote farming town in northwestern China, according to theprovincial health department.
Police set up checkpoints aroundZiketan in Qinghai province after the outbreak was first detected lastThursday. The lung infection is highly contagious can kill a person inas few as 24 hours if left untreated.
"A lot of people ran off last night when they heard that anotherperson died of this plague. They are mostly from other provinces," saida foodseller surnamed Han who runs a stall at the Crystal Alley Market."They headed back home with food, mineral water and their donkeys."
Itwas unclear if the people who headed out of the town made it past thepolice checkpoints. Officials at the local and provincial level wereunavailable to comment.
According to the World HealthOrganization, pneumonic plague is one of the deadliest infectiousdiseases, capable of killing a person 24 hours after he or she gets thedisease.