What We Know—and Don’t Know—About the Death of a Plague Researcher in Russia

Look, you probably aren't going to get the plague,

but let's start with what we know.

And spoiler alert, it's not a lot at this stage.

The exact details still remain unconfirmed,

but last Friday, October 2nd,

a young woman died from severe pneumonia in Russia.

She was reportedly a lab technician

at a plague research institute in Siberia.

Initial reports from local Russian media

said the woman had died

from a type of plague called mnemonic plague

after an alleged lab accident.

So, the World Health Organization

has been in touch with Russia

and said Russian health authorities reported

that no cases of plague had been registered in that region.

So, what's going on here, and should we be concerned?

Firstly, the situation is complicated

by the fact that virtually no independent media outlets

operate inside of Russia.

As one immunologist I spoke to said,

We don't know anything about anything right now.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said,

There's no indication of a broader threat

to the United States at this time.

Plague, of course, is infamous

for causing millions of deaths in Europe

during the Middle Ages,

but it's rare today.

Still, around a half dozen people

come down with plague every year in the US.

It's caused by a bacteria and mainly spreads to humans

through the bite of an infected flea.

Then, there's mnemonic plague,

which occurs when a person inhales the bacteria

and it gets into the lungs.

It is the only type of plague

that can be passed from person to person,

but the last time that happened in the US was in 1924.

The thing about plague

is that it is curable with antibiotics,

but they must be started

as soon as an infection is suspected.

So the priority is to rapidly identify cases and treat them.

If the Russian researcher did die from plague,

experts say the disease

could theoretically be easily contained.

The fact that this is happening in Siberia,

as opposed to a bustling European city,

will also help to limit any potential spread.

The bottom line is we don't yet know

if this woman died from plague or not.

The World Health Organization and US

are pressing Russia for clarity.