What is pneumonic plague and how dangerous is it?
Russian authorities are tracing contacts and testing samples as WHO says the public health risk remains low.
- A 28-year-old researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died last week from pneumonia of undetermined origin, prompting authorities to place around 200 contacts under medical observation.
- Pneumonic plague, a rare lung infection caused by Yersinia pestis, can be fatal within days if untreated but remains highly responsive to early antibiotics, according to the World Health Organization.
- While local media reports suggest a lab accident involving a broken test tube, Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor denies any link between Shipilova's work and her death, citing test results showing no detected pathogens.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russian authorities to increase transparency, while the World Health Organization deemed the public health risk to the broader European region very low.
- Experts including infectious disease specialist Professor Paul Griffin note that modern surveillance and containment capabilities limit spread potential, distinguishing this case from historical pandemics like the 14th-century Black Death.
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481 Articles
Russia warns of 'false' information as second plague case reported
MOSCOW — Russia warned Wednesday against "false" information as reports emerged of a second suspected case of plague in Siberia, with Washington and Brussels calling for transparency and neighbouring Mongolia tightening health surveillance. Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported last Friday that a 28-year-old woman employed at a plague research institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region had died of the disease, possibly after contracting it fr…
Ministry: no risk of plague outbreak
The health ministry on Wednesday said that it was closely monitoring the situation regarding the recent plague case that has been reported in Russia, emphasising that there was no reason for concern. Head of the health ministry’s epidemiological surveillance and control of infectious diseases unit, Christos Charalambous, said that the case concerns a research institute […]
“We cannot make an exhaustive risk assessment,” says its director general in reference to Moscow’s opacity, which arouses speculation about the origin of the infection
Russia keeps a tight lid on suspected case of pneumonic plague as global concerns mount - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
(AP) Russian authorities are keeping a tight lid on information about last week’s suspicious death of a lab worker in Siberia that has been surrounded...
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