TheManchurian plague was apneumonic plague that occurred mainly inManchuria in 1910–1911. It killed 60,000 people, stimulating a multinational medical response and the wearing of the firstpersonal protective equipment (PPE).
The plague is thought to have originated from atarbagan marmot which was infected withbacterial pneumonia. The disease was spread when marmot fur hunters gathered together during the winter months, and then infectedmigrant workers during theChinese New Year. TheCambridge-trained doctorWu Lien-teh led Chinese efforts to end the plague, and promotedquarantine and the wearing ofcloth face masks as safety measures. The hardest hit cities includedChangchun,Harbin, and Mukden. Although the disease was largely confined to Manchuria, a number of plague cases were reported in cities such asBeijing andTianjin.
The Manchurian plague highlighted the importance of a multinational medical response, setting precedents for organizations such as theWorld Health Organization. Wu Lien-teh's widespread promotion ofcloth plague mask-wearing by doctors, nurses, patients, contacts, and (to the degree that it was possible) the population at large was the first time such an epidemic containment measure had been attempted. The event was also influential in establishing the use ofpersonal protective equipment to stop the spread of disease, and is credited for the origins of the modernhazmat suit.
The plague is thought to have originated from atarbagan marmot infected with bacterial pneumonia. Tarbagan marmots were hunted for their fur in Manchuria. It was anairborne spread disease and was incredibly deadly, with a near 100 percent mortality rate. Its spread was magnified by marmot hunters gathering in the bitter winter months, and the eventual travel of migrant workers during theChinese New Year. Russia and Japan both had economic interests in the region and needed to cooperate with Chinese authorities.[1]
TheCambridge-trained doctorWu Lien-teh led Chinese efforts to end the plague, and promotedquarantine and the wearing ofcloth face masks.[2][3] He also convened the International Plague Conference inMukden in April 1911, the first major event of its kind that brought together an international team of scientists concerned withdisease control.[4][5]
The Chinese government also sought the support of foreign doctors, a number of whom died as a consequence of the disease.[6] In Harbin, this included the Frenchman Gérald Mesny, from the Imperial Medical College in Tientsin, who disputed Wu's recommendation of masks; a few days later, he died after catching the plague when visiting patients without wearing a mask.[7] Another was the 26-year-old Arthur F. Jackson, aUnited Free Church of Scotlandmissionary doctor, who fell ill within eight days of inspecting and quarantining hundreds of poor laborers; he died two days later in Mukden.[8][9]
In the end, the death toll reached some 60,000 lives. The hardest hit cities includedChangchun,Harbin, and Mukden. Although the disease was largely confined to Manchuria, cases were found elsewhere in cities such asBeijing andTianjin.[1]
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The Manchurian plague is believed to have highlighted the importance of a multinational medical response, setting precedents for organizations such as theWorld Health Organization.[10] Wu Lien-teh's widespread promotion ofcloth plague mask-wearing by doctors, nurses, patients, contacts, and (to the degree that it was possible) the population at large was the first time such an epidemic containment measure had been attempted.[11] The event was also influential in establishing the use ofpersonal protective equipment to stop the spread of disease, and is credited for the origins of the modernhazmat suit.[11][12]
Parallels have also been made between the management and control of the Manchurian plague and other outbreaks of infectious disease such as theEbola epidemic in West Africa (2013–2016)[13] andCOVID-19 pandemic (2019–present).[14][15]