A suspected plague case in Russia has drawn attention after a 28-year-old laboratory worker died following a reported incident involving a live bacterium. Nearly 200 people who came into contact with her have been placed under medical observation.
The White House is also monitoring the situation, Axios reportedalthough Russian health authorities have not confirmed that the woman had plague. The administration official said the Trump administration “is aware, monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options,” as per Axios.
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What happened in Russia?
According to The Moscow Times, a worker at an anti-plague laboratory in Siberia died, and nearly 200 people were placed under isolation.
As per Axios, Daria Shipilova, 28, worked at an anti-plague research institute in the Irkutsk region. Local reports said she broke a test tube containing the pneumonic plague pathogen on September 25.
As per Lyudi Baikala, she reportedly told medical staff that she broke a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples.
Shipilova first became sick while on an expedition with other workers near Russia’s eastern border with Mongolia.
She was admitted to a hospital on September 29 with severe pneumonia. She died overnight between October 1 and October 2.
As per Axios, authorities then placed several medical facilities under quarantine. Nearly 200 people who had contact with Shipilova were put under medical observation.
On Telegram on Friday, he wrote: “All identified contact persons have been placed under medical observation. As of today, the contacts show no signs of illness, and their laboratory test results are negative,” according to the NY Post.
Has plague been confirmed?
According to Axios, Russian media reports said Shipilova may have had pneumonic plague. But health authorities have not confirmed this.
Russia’s public health agency described her illness as “pneumonia of unknown etiology”. It said further tests found no microorganisms linked to her work. The agency said the situation in the region remains stable.
What is pneumonic plague?
According to the NY Post, plague is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. It says the disease killed tens of millions of people in the medieval Black Death. The three main forms are bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic plague.
Symptoms can include fever, headache, chills, weakness, shortness of breath and coughing. And all forms can be treated with antibiotics, especially if treatment starts early.
Axios says local reports claimed the test tube that broke held the pneumonic plague pathogen.