The death of an employee at an anti-plague institute in Russia’s Irkutsk region was attributed to pneumonia of undetermined origin. The WHO said Russian authorities reported no plague cases in the region; 24.hu reported that about 200 contacts were under observation.
According to 24.hu, 28-year-old Darya Shipilova died on October 2. The illness was officially described as pneumonia of undetermined origin; it has not been confirmed that she had plague or that the illness was connected to her laboratory work. The Associated Press reported that Russian authorities told the WHO no plague cases had recently been registered in Irkutsk region.
About 200 people who may have had contact with the woman were placed under medical observation as a precaution. The WHO asked Russia for additional information. Reports of possible pneumonic plague raised concern, but no confirmed case had been reported at the time.
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The WHO identifies bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic forms. Pneumonic plague can spread from person to person through droplets from coughing or sneezing, but that does not mean an infection has been confirmed in Irkutsk.
Suspected pneumonic plague requires urgent medical care: the disease can progress quickly, and early treatment lowers the risk of severe complications. The symptoms listed in the source—shortness of breath, coughing and bloody sputum—can have other causes and are not enough on their own to establish a diagnosis.