Ulaanbaatar, July 31 (IANS): A laboratory test for a suspected case of bubonic plague in the western Mongolian province of Govi-Altai has returned negative results, local media reported on Wednesday.

The tests were conducted on samples taken from a resident of the province's Taishir soum (administrative subdivision), who had recently been hospitalised after consuming marmot meat.

Despite the ban on hunting marmots in Mongolia, the rodent is still considered a delicacy by many, leading some to ignore the law, Xinhua news agency reported.

Seventeen out of Mongolia's 21 provinces are at risk of bubonic plague infection, the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases said, urging the public to refrain from hunting marmots and consuming their meat to mitigate the risk of infection.

Bubonic plague, a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that live on wild rodents like marmots, can be fatal within 24 hours if not promptly treated, according to the World Health Organization.