Qinghai: third death from pneumonic plague reported as some desperate residents try to flee

The third death is that of a 64-year-old man, Danzhi, a neighbour of the other two victims who succumbed a few days ago.

Police have set up checkpoints around Ziketan to stop people from going in and out of the town. Medics are disinfecting the area and killing rats and insects.

Scared, tens of people have tried to flee at night under the cloak of darkness, The Times reported in its online edition.

Local authorities have said that the situation is under control, and that schools and offices are open as usual.

But local sources have reported that the streets are deserted and most stores are closed.

The health bureau in Ziketan, a predominantly Tibetan district, has warned anyone with a cough or fever who has recently visited the town to seek medical treatment.

A further nine people are thought to be infected and in hospital, mostly relatives of the first victim of the pneumonic plague who contracted the disease from his dog. One of them is in serious conditions, but health authorities said that there appear to be no more infections.

Pneumonic plague is highly deadly. It attacks the lungs, causes fever, headache and shortness of breath and can spread from person to person or from animals to people. It can kill in 24 hours.

According to experts of the World Health Organisation (WHO), pneumonic plague is the most virulent and least common form of plague and is caused by the same bacterium that causes the bubonic plague.