{
  "id": 13080527,
  "title": "Unproven 'cures' pushed online amid plague concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/unproven-cures-pushed-online-amid-plague-concerns",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-09T09:20:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-unproven-online-plague.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Reports of a woman employed at a Russian plague research institute succumbing to the disease have driven interest in potential treatments for the illness online. However, Russia has not confirmed the woman died of plague and officials claim no health issues arose after tracing her contacts. Despite this, influencers and doomsday preppers are selling a $300 kit on social media, claiming it prevents emergency room visits. The kit is said to contain doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat plague in outbreak-prone areas. Experts caution against taking antibiotics without confirmed exposure as it can disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to antibiotic resistance. Ivermectin, another included drug, is not an effective treatment for plague and is only approved to treat worm diseases. The Wellness Company promoted in many videos has seen a surge in online searches, with its creator potentially profiting from sales. This situation reflects how health crises often attract unscrupulous individuals who exploit fear to sell unproven products.",
  "summary": "Reports that a woman employed at a plague research institute in Russia's Irkutsk region died from the disease have spiked online interest in possible treatments for the illness in North America.",
  "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."
}