Two people in China are being treated for pneumonic plague, commonly knowns as the black plague, one of the deadliest pandemics in human history.
The two patients from the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia were diagnosed by doctors in Beijing.
A spokesperson for the World Health Organisation says it understood that close contacts were being screened and managed.
“The Chinese National Health Commission are implementing efforts to contain and treat the identified cases and increasing surveillance,” the spokespersons said.