BEIJING, August 2 (RIA Novosti) - The town of Ziketan in northwest China's Qinghai province has been quarantined following a man's death from pneumonic plague, state media reported.

Official news agency Xinhua quoted local health officials as saying a 32-year-old herdsman has died, and that 11 other people, mainly relatives of the deceased, are infected.

The Health Bureau of the Qinghai Province said in a statement that a team of experts has been sent to the area, and that the plague is currently under control

The sealed area, which includes the town's surroundings, has sufficient supplies to meet the needs of locals, the statement said. People who recently visited the town and who have coughs or fever have been urged to go to hospital immediately.

According to the World Health Organization, pneumonic plague is "the most virulent and least common form of plague." The disease is spread mainly among small animals and their fleas, and can be transmitted from human to human through inhalation of infected droplets.