Plague in China
China recorded 33 human plague cases and 14 deaths between 2010 and 2024, concentrated in Inner Mongolia (15), Xizang (8) and Gansu (6). Plague is a Class A notifiable disease, and marmot-linked pneumonic clusters on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau have led to strict local quarantines.
Updated:
Situation now
China CDC's monthly national reports show zero plague cases and deaths in every month from January to August 2026.
Authority: China CDC
Reported to WHO, 2019 to 2025
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspected | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| Confirmed | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| Deaths | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Source: WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record 101(38), 25 Sep 2026, Table 9.
Natural foci
Inner Mongolia
ModerateHosts: Mongolian gerbils, Brandt's voles
Most Chinese human cases 2010-2024 (15 of 33) came from Inner Mongolia, including the 2019 pneumonic cases treated in Beijing. No cases January to August 2026.
Qinghai-Tibet plateau
ModerateHosts: Himalayan marmots
Xizang, Qinghai and Gansu. Source of most pneumonic plague clusters in China.
Recent events
Two pneumonic plague patients from Inner Mongolia are diagnosed in Beijing; one dies.
Latest signals
Headlines attributed to China in the last 45 days. Not verified by us.