What We Know About Plague, Death of Russian Lab Worker

News reporting and heavy social media coverage over the weekend have raised questions about threats posed by the plague. In case you missed it, leading news organizations are reporting on the death of a Russian lab worker who died from pneumonia of “unknown origin.” Since this worker was an employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East, some have speculated that the person may have died from pneumonic plague. So far, details surrounding the situation remain inconsistent and are difficult to verify.

“Uncertainty should not be confused with evidence of a major outbreak,” says Jodie Guest, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. "It is reasonable to ask questions and monitor developments, but current information does not support conclusions that this represents the beginning of a pandemic.”

What We Know Right Now 

The reported death is concerning and requires continued attention. As of right now, there is not enough information to determine whether the cause of death was due to plague exposure or something else.

Guest notes that even if pneumonic plague were confirmed, public health systems have extensive experience responding to plague cases and outbreaks. 

“Unlike a novel pathogen, plague is a well-characterized disease with established diagnostic methods, effective antibiotics and post-exposure prophylaxis, and clear and well-tested outbreak-control strategies.” 

In other words, this is not the next pandemic, nor is it a reason to panic. 

“Pneumonic plague is a serious disease that requires immediate public health attention, but it spreads very differently from highly airborne infections such as measles or SARS-CoV-2, requiring close contact with a symptomatic individual,” says Guest.