The word "plague" conjures the darkest chapters of human history. The Black Death killed somewhere between 30 to 60 percent of Europe’s population when it tore through the continent via rats and trade in the 14th century. This is the enduring popular perception of plagues.
Schoolchildren are routinely taught about painted crosses on doors, bursting pustules, and a near-certain agonizing death for those infected. So when reports first emerged from the Russian city of Irkutsk about the death from suspected pneumonic plague of anti-plague biolab worker Daria Shipilova, 28, many responded with alarm. After all, left untreated, it has a mortality rate of 100 percent.
Annie Jacobsen, author of Biological War: A Scenario, has sounded a frantic warning across social media and the television networks. She points to the involvement of Russia's domestic security and counterintelligence agency, the FSB, as a tell that this is a big deal for Russian security. Mike Pompeo, the former U.S.
Secretary of State, said the reports from Russia "should be treated with the utmost seriousness, especially considering the source." "COVID showed us how the lies and obstruction of authoritarian governments seeking to cover their tracks can turn a containable outbreak into a global pandemic," Pompeo said. The official U.S. reaction elevated concerns. Embassy in Moscow issued a health alert acknowledging press reports of suspected pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region, a death, and hospital quarantines.
Washington, it added, has limited ability to help Americans in Russia, especially outside Moscow. The alert repeated the State Department’s standing instruction that U.S. citizens should leave Russia immediately over wrongful detention and security risks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Reykjavik, said it was incumbent on Russia to share more information with the world.
Washington has since sent Moscow a démarche, a formal request for details. President Donald Trump called the episode a "big problem" for Russia and said he has a call scheduled with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Trump played down fears that the outbreak is linked to a bioweapon, though key questions remain unanswered.
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