A city in northern China sounded an alert after a suspected case of bubonic plague was reported.

Beijing: A city in northern China sounded an alert after a suspected case of bubonic plague, a deadly disease was reported.

The suspected bubonic plague case was reported on Saturday. The local health authority announced that the warning period will continue until the end of 2020.

Bubonic Plague"At present, there is a risk of a human plague epidemic spreading in this city. The public should improve its self-protection awareness and ability, and report abnormal health conditions promptly,” the local health authority said.

A daily newspaper said that two suspected cases of bubonic plague were reported and have been confirmed by lab test results.

The confirmed cases are a 27-year-old resident and his 17-year-old brother, who are being treated at two separate hospitals in their province.

A total of 146 people who had contact with them have been isolated and treated at local hospitals.

CoronavirusBubonic plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots. It can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

A couple died of bubonic plague last year after eating raw marmot meat.

The news of bubonic plague came after Chinese researchers issued an early warning over another potential pandemic caused by an influenza virus in pigs.