Chinese health agencies are making every effort to prevent the spread of the bubonic plague, Deng Haihua, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said Tuesday.

The ministry's response came after the Sichuan provincial department of health's report Monday that a herdsman in the province's Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture died of the disease on September 7.

The man died after he and several other villagers ate a marmot they had found dead on September 2. Two days later the herdsman suffered symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, vomit and fever.

Those who had close contact with the patient have not yet developed abnormal symptoms and are under quarantine, Deng said.

The ministry will keep the public well-informed on developments and potential risks, Deng said.

The ministry has also reported the case to relevant government departments, the World Health Organization, local authorities in Hong Kong and Macao as well as other countries.

The health department in Sichuan has sent experts to the scene and set up emergency headquarters in the epidemic center, Deng said.

Categorized as a Class A infectious disease, the plague killed one person last year and two in 2010 in the country.

Global Times - Xinhua