BEIJING, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Chinese authorities have quarantined a town in the northwest of the country over an outbreak of pneumonic plague which has killed one and infected another 11 people, regional media said on Monday.

Most of the 11 people infected with pneumonic plaque in Ziketan are relatives of the victim, a 32-year-old local herdsman. All of them have been hospitalized and are reported to be in a stable condition.

Pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs, can be transmitted from person to person or from animals to people.

The town of Ziketan is in China's Qinghai Province and is home to 10,000 people.

Medical experts have already arrived in the province. Local health officials have said that anyone with a fever and cough who visited Ziketan after July 16 must consult a doctor.