BEIJING- A rural community in northwest China has been quarantined due to an outbreak of Pneumonic plague.  

According to reports this morning, authorities have sealed off an entire town of 10,000, where a dozen or more have been infected with the highly contagious, deadly lung disease.    "The man who died Sunday was identified only as 37-year-old Danzin from Ziketan, the stricken town in Qinghai province," news reports said. 

Danzin was a neighbor of the first person who died, a 32-year-old herdsman whose name was not given. Another 10 people, mostly relatives of the first deceased man, were infected and undergoing isolated treatment in the hospital late Sunday night.  Health officials are indicating that anyone with a cough or fever who has visited the northwest China region since mid-July should seek treatment at a hospital. 

This plague, according to news reports, is spread through the air and can be passed from person to person through coughing.    Health officials believe that it is caused by the same bacteria that occurs in bubonic plague, which killed an estimated 25 million in Europe during the Middle Ages.  

Bubonic plague can be acquired through flea bites. However, it can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early.   Pneumonic plague is more serious as death can occur within 24 hours of the infection.   

Michael Wines reported this morning that an official who answered the emergency line at Renmin Hospital in Ziketan, where the outbreak is centered, said that all roads into and out of the area had been closed off, but that residents remained free to move about within the town.

The official, who refused to give his name, said it was unclear when the blockade would be lifted. Repeated calls to a plague emergency phone line produced only busy signals.   Ziketan is a remote, ethnically Tibetan town in eastern Qinghai Province, one of the largest and least populated regions of China.       

Article sources: Worcester Telegram, various health news releases, New York Times  

The Cash for Clunkers legislation is currently in operation.  For those interested in learning more, the government provided a website highlighting all the details over what is expected to be a short-lived program, as funding is likely to run out soon enough.  

As posted on the official government site, The CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is a $1 billion government program that helps consumers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel-efficient car or truck. The program is designed to energize the economy; boost auto sales and put safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the nation’s roadways.

Consumers will be able to take advantage of this program and receive a $3,500 or $4,500 discount from the car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new one.   Consumers do not need to register anywhere or at anytime for this program. 

Requirements

Click the following link to find out what is NHTSA doing to guard against fraud.  Allegations of fraud may be reported by calling our toll-free 24-hour hotline at 1-800-424-9071.  

QUALIFICATIONS 
Qualified consumers may participate in the CARS Program between July 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 or when authorized funds are no longer available. Qualified consumers will receive a credit of $3,500 or $4,500 for an eligible trade-in toward the purchase of lease of an approved vehicle under CARS Program. Qualified consumers will receive the $3,500 or $4,500 credit at the time the purchase their new vehicle.

Dealers must provide consumers with any other advertised rebates or discounts in addition to the credit they receive through the CARS Program. Consumers should expect to conduct their deals at their dealership of choice, not on the Internet. Consumers should expect the dealers to provide their best estimate of the scrap value for their eligible trade-in vehicle. Dealers are allowed to deduct $50 from this value for their administrative costs.

Consumers should expect that all information collected through the CARS Program will be kept confidential. Social Security numbers are not required for a CARS transaction. Or visit this website for more information: http://www.cars.gov/   

GM has also posted additional information regarding the program on their website.  It reads,  For a limited time only, the Car Allowance Rebate System (or CARS — commonly referred to as Cash for Clunkers or Customer Assistance to Recycle and Save) is available to customers at registered, participating dealers.   

GM is proud to offer a wide variety of eligible, gas-friendly vehicles to meet your needs. "There  never been a better time than now to purchase a new GM vehicle that  a sound investment for both your bottom line and the environment."  If it sounds like something you are interested in, they offer a handy tool to calculate an estimated CARS voucher value.

Visit this website here.