The country with a population of 3.1 million has just recorded another death due to the bubonic plague.

Another pandemic in the making?

News agency AFP reported that the latest victim was an unnamed man, and his death on Tuesday (11 August) came just weeks after a 15-year-old boy died due to the disease in a neighbouring province of Mongolia.

According to the report, the 42-year-old man had bought two dead marmots before he fell ill.

The rare bacteria that causes the bubonic plague is said to be caused by fleas clinging to the hair of the marmots.

As a result, more than 70 people who came into close contact with the deceased will be tested and quarantined.

Although this could be an isolated incident, it could potentially turn into something bigger, as China reported two similar deaths from its side of the border this month.

According to the report, one died from the bubonic plague, and the other was caused by the rare pharyngeal plague.

The Mongolian government has discouraged people from eating the animal, and despite hunting marmots and consuming them are illegal, many of the country’s citizens believe that its meat is good for health.