The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Wednesday alerted the public of a pneumonic plague case in Tibet after a man died of the highly contagious disease there last month.

The man, 38, was a herder in the city of Shannan. He developed symptoms on September 24 and died the next day.

The CHP said it was notified of the case by the National Health Commission.

A spokesman for the CHP said plague is transmitted from an infected animal, mainly rodents, to humans.

He added that pneumonic plague is highly contagious and can spread between humans by inhalation of respiratory droplets from an infected person, and patients may die within a short period of time if they're not treated immediately.

The spokesman reminded travellers to avoid visiting plague-endemic areas.

"Travellers returning from affected areas with a sudden onset of fever, shaking chills, body pains or chest discomfort should seek medical advice as soon as possible and reveal their travel history for prompt investigation and management," he said.