US CDC says it’s ‘aware of and closely monitoring’ Russian plague case

What the report says

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is aware of and closely monitoring a suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia, after the unexplained death of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old worker at an anti-plague laboratory in Siberia. Al Jazeera, citing the CDC’s social media statement and Reuters, reported that the agency tried to reassure the public while noting that the circumstances of the case remain unconfirmed.

Russian authorities have released limited information, but according to the report they have quarantined a hospital in the Irkutsk region and are tracing Shipilova’s contacts. Russian media also said nearly 200 people were placed under medical observation. The CDC said plague is a serious bacterial illness that can be treated with antibiotics if caught early, and stressed the need for rapid identification and treatment.

The agency said the incident poses little risk to the United States and that it, along with other US agencies, is monitoring developments. The Trump administration also said it was closely watching the situation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more details, while former Biden administration COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha said more information was needed before conclusions could be drawn.

Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis and can spread through respiratory particles in its pneumonic form, according to the World Health Organization, making transparency and early public-health response important in any suspected outbreak.