Russia plague: What we know about the suspected case reportedly linked to a lab worker’s death
According to local media reports, as many as 189 people have also been placed under medical observation in Irkutsk in Eastern Russia.
TL;DR
- An employee at Russia’s anti-plague institute in Irkutsk has died from a suspected case of pneumonic plague.
- 189 people have been placed under medical observation in Irkutsk, eastern Siberia, due to exposure.
- The WHO is aware of the reports and has offered support to Russia, stating that laboratory testing is underway.
- Pneumonic plague infects the lungs and can be transmitted by breathing in infectious particles.
- Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas.
- While plague is treatable with antibiotics, multi-antibiotic resistant strains are emerging.
- The public health risk to the general population is currently considered low.