Police recently seized a total of 270 dead marmots from a vehicle, which could have spread the deadly bubonic plague, reported Mongolian National Police Agency. The dead marmots were found last week in a vehicle heading to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar from the western Mongolian province of Khovd. The case is under investigation.

In April, a couple died of bubonic plague in Bayan-Ulgii province after eating raw marmot meat.

The plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots. The disease can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization.