"The plague? Where did it come from?" WHO has new information from Russia

The World Health Organization pointed out that the most important unresolved issue is the lack of a final diagnosis by the laboratory technician. Russia allegedly informed the organization that no cases of plague had been recorded in the Irkutsk Oblast recently.

According to data provided by the Russian authorities, tests of people in contact with the deceased did not reveal any dangerous pathogens. It was also assured that there were no violations of biosecurity procedures at the institute where the woman worked.

WHO assessed that currently available information does not indicate the ongoing spread of the pathogen. However, the organization announced further monitoring of the situation.

The young laboratory technician died in unexplained circumstances

The case concerns 28-year-old Daria Shipiłowa, employed at an institute in the Irkutsk region. The woman was hospitalized on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and died on October 2. Earlier media reports suggested that she may have contracted pneumonic plague while working in a laboratory.

After her death, approximately 200 people were placed under observation and quarantine. WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus previously announced that a full risk assessment is difficult because Russia has not provided complete data and the cause of the lab technician's death remains unknown.

What is the plague?

Plague is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is a zoonotic disease - its natural reservoir are mainly wild rodents, and the bacteria can be transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of infected fleas.

There are three main forms of the disease:

bubonic plague - the most common; causes, among others, high fever, weakness and painful enlargement of lymph nodes, the so-called buboes;

septicemic plague - bacteria enter the blood, which can lead to septic shock and organ failure;

pneumonic plague - the most dangerous and the only form that can easily spread between people through droplets, e.g. during coughing.

If left untreated, the plague can lead to death, but it can now be effectively treated with antibiotics - especially if treatment is implemented quickly. Nowadays, the disease is rare, but outbreaks are still reported, among others, in: in some countries of Africa, Asia and the Americas.