Should we be worried about a plague outbreak in Russia?

Pneumonic plague, a highly contagious and lethal form of the disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has recently made headlines following the untimely death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker in Siberia. Despite conflicting reports from local and state media, Russian health officials have confirmed the worker, Darya Shipilova, died from pneumonic plague, isolating the affected area and monitoring her contacts.

Pneumonic plague, which primarily affects the lungs, spreads through respiratory droplets and boasts an extremely high fatality rate when left untreated. The disease can progress rapidly, leading to death within 18 to 24 hours of infection. In contrast, bubonic and septicaemic plague, two other forms of the illness, are more commonly transmitted through flea bites and direct contact with infected blood, respectively.

The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, where the worker was employed, conducts research on plague control. Founded in 1934, the institute is located near Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. Following Shipilova's death, the hospital in Shelekhov, a town outside Irkutsk, halted routine testing and ceased admitting new patients.

The local mayor and the head of Russia's public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, are working to contain the outbreak and ensure the safety of those who came into contact with the deceased worker.

While the Black Death pandemic of the Middle Ages, caused primarily by bubonic plague, claimed the lives of more than 50 million people, the pneumonic plague, though rarer, also played a significant role in the devastating event. Today, the WHO reports fewer than 4,000 suspected cases and around 420 deaths worldwide from 2019 to 2025.

However, the disease remains a significant concern due to its rapid progression and high mortality rate. Preventive measures include monitoring animal populations for plague presence, advising people to avoid flea bites and handling animal carcasses, and administering prompt antibiotic treatment when diagnosed.