What Worries Experts About the Russia 'Plague' Incident
Public-health experts say the incident should serve as a wake-up call.
Experts are worried about the recent incident involving a lab worker who died of pneumonia after allegedly breaking a test tube containing plague bacteria in a Siberian research institute. Russian authorities have not found plague in the worker's tests or those of her close contacts and have quarantined up to 200 people, which is unusual for an isolated case of pneumonia.
Public-health experts, including Jennifer Nuzzo and Dr. Ashish K. Jha, express concern over the lack of transparency from Russian authorities and the unusual response to the case. They worry that this might be an accidental release from a deliberate program or an engineered pathogen, rather than a naturally occurring one. Both experts highlight the need for better global monitoring systems for new pathogens and improved biosurveillance capabilities in countries.
The authors also express concern that the U.S. has dismantled several key preparedness programs since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving it less prepared to handle future outbreaks.
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