{
  "id": 12885501,
  "title": "The disease that once ravaged Europe still exists: could plague return to Spain?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/the-disease-that-once-ravaged-europe-still-exists-could-plague-return",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-08T14:05:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/08/the-disease-that-once-ravaged-europe-still-exists-could-plague-return-to-spain"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Plague, a historically devastating disease, has resurfaced in modern times, raising concerns about its potential return to Spain. A scientist in Irkutsk, Siberia, died from pneumonia of unknown origin, leading to suspicions of pneumonic plague infection. However, Russian authorities have not confirmed any plague cases in the area, and tests on the deceased woman's contacts were negative.\n\nThe World Health Organization (WHO) has requested further information on the incident and offered support to Russian authorities. Although Europe has not seen routine transmission of the disease for decades, the bacterium responsible for plague, Yersinia pestis, still exists in various parts of the world and continues to cause human infections annually.\n\nSpain and the rest of Europe do not currently have circulating plague, as confirmed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which has recorded its absence on the continent for over 50 years. However, the bacterium persists in certain populations of small mammals, particularly rodents, and fleas that infest them. Humans can contract the disease through flea bites, contact with infected animals or respiratory particles from pneumonic plague cases.\n\nDespite the low risk to the Spanish and European population, plague can still appear where there are animal reservoirs of the bacterium. Spain maintains active surveillance for the disease, with the Health Ministry updating its national protocol in April 2026 to enhance early-warning mechanisms.\n\nAlthough plague is rare in the United States, with an average of seven cases reported per year, it remains endemic in several countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the most affected regions, with cases of bubonic plague commonly recorded during the epidemic season. In the U.S., most cases are reported in rural areas of the western region.\n\nPlague can present in three forms: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicaemic. Bubonic plague is the most common and results from infected flea bites, causing fever, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes. Pneumonic plague, the most dangerous form, affects the lungs and can be transmitted person-to-person via respiratory particles. Septicaemic plague occurs when the bacterium multiplies in the bloodstream, leading to severe, generalized infection. Antibiotics can treat plague, but early diagnosis is crucial to prevent complications and reduce mortality rates.\n\nThe recent Siberian case has prompted European health authorities to monitor the situation closely. The European Commission and the ECDC have not found evidence of secondary cases or sustained person-to-person transmission, maintaining that the risk to Europe is very low. However, the persistence of the bacterium in wild animals worldwide ensures that plague remains a potential threat, albeit with a significantly lower risk compared to historical epidemics like the Black Death.",
  "summary": "The death of a scientist in Russia has reignited fears of plague. Spain has seen no local cases for decades, yet the disease persists elsewhere. How real is the risk in Europe?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}