The death of a 28-year-old woman who worked in an anti-plague laboratory in Russia is raising concerns about what caused her illness. The woman died Friday, according to the World Health Organization, with no cause of death confirmed. A Russian official said the woman died of pneumonia of “undetermined” origin and did not link her death to her work at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East.
State Department said, however, that it’s monitoring reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region, in southeastern Siberia, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key details remain unknown, including whether the woman was infected with plague at all and, if so, whether it was naturally occurring plague or bacteria studied in the lab. Scientists also don’t know how quickly her illness progressed and what treatment she received.
Nearly 200 people that came into contact with the woman are under precautionary medical observation, according to Russian media. Ashish Jha, the White House’s former Covid response coordinator, told NBC News in an interview, “If there were weapons programs, biological weapons programs in these labs, that would be much more concerning to me.” “We need to understand that now,” he added. The situation is still rapidly unfolding.
But here’s what we know about the pneumonic plague, how it spreads and how dangerous it is. Plague is an infection caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria. Known as the “Black Death” during the 14th century, the plague triggered several global pandemics over centuries before the discovery of antibiotics.
It presents in three main forms: bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic, according to the World Health Organization. All three are caused by Yersinia pestis, but they occur in different parts of the body. Bubonic is the most common form, Morici said.
It is primarily transmitted through bites of infected fleas or direct contact with infected rodents, which can cause painful, swollen lumps in the lymph nodes. It is usually not contagious. Left untreated, however, it can spread to the lungs and become pneumonic plague, which can pass from person to person through respiratory droplets, Morici said.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
