(Yicai Global) Aug. 7 -- One person has died in northern China's Baotou after catching bubonic plague so the largest city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region heeds a third-level epidemic warning, the second-lowest in the four-tier system, till the end of this year.

A herdsman residing in Darhan Muminggan United Banner, 160 kilometers away from the urban area, died from the rare infection, the municipal health commission reported yesterday. Some 35 close contacts of his are under medical observation, even though none of them exhibit relevant symptoms nor have tested positive for the disease that can usually be treated with antibiotics.

The village where the deceased person lived has been isolated and people living in the surrounding areas have been instructed to avoid going near the place.

This is the second case -- and first death -- of bubonic plague in this region has confirmed this year. The previous case was discovered in July in Bayannur, another city in Inner Mongolia.

Editor: Emmi Laine