High rise buildings are seen on the skyline of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, May 22, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

ULAN BATOR - West Mongolia's Govi-Altai province has been quarantined for a week due to a suspected case of bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, said the provincial governor's office on Tuesday.

Of all the 21 Mongolian provinces, 17 are at risk of the bubonic plague, according to the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases

The suspected case has been reported in Bugat soum (administrative subdivision) of the province, and is now under isolation at a local hospital, the office said in a statement.

Though hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many Mongolians regard the rodent as a delicacy and ignore the law.

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Of all the 21 Mongolian provinces, 17 are at risk of the bubonic plague, according to the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases.

Bubonic plague, the most common form of plague, is caused by the yersinia pestis bacteria, which lives in rodent populations and is spread by fleas that have bitten infected animals, such as marmots.

An adult can be killed in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization.