ABOVE: Personal protective equipment from the 17th century. During plague outbreaks some doctors wore a beaked mask filled with herbs and perfume thought to protect against contaminated air.
© ISTOCK.COM, MANUELVELASCO
“Omg here we go…another outbreak,” wrote one Twitter user. “omg yikes bubonic plague????? Alongside covid???” chimed another.
They were not the only ones alarmed to see media reports this month about cases of plague—first in humans in Mongolia and then in squirrels in Colorado. A 15-year-old boy in western Mongolia died from bubonic plague after eating infected marmot meat, according to the country’s health ministry. Responding to localized cases, authorities in Mongolia closed some areas to tourists as a precaution.
While the boy’s death is tragic, there’s no reason to think this is another epidemic in the works.
“We’re not going to see a global outbreak or pandemic of the plague. That’s not going to happen,” says Michael Head, a ...
