Pneumonic Plague in Russia

I think in fairness the world press were made aware of the researcher’s death and the quarantine arrangements quickly, and plague deaths do still happen, as per the report from CNN I copied.

That was my question Jenniren

News is on several outlets.
What is not trustworthy is the news coming out of Russia.

Daily Mail, not the most trustworthy of newspapers.

It is very worrying David49 especially as we are not being told the full facts.

JenniRen

If antibiotics are effective against pneumonic plague and this laboratory worker reported it as soon as the accident happened was she given an immediate course of antibiotics and, if so, why did they not work?

That is worrying if it turns out to be a resistant form of plague it may spread, any airborne disease has the ability to spread quickly

The world will get as much transparency from Russia about their Pneumonic Plague as we got from China about Covid.

If antibiotics are effective against pneumonic plague and this laboratory worker reported it as soon as the accident happened was she given an immediate course of antibiotics and, if so, why did they not work?

There was a good article about it on CNN, which is here.

edition.cnn.com/health/pneumonic-plague-explained

I didn’t realise that it’s not that rare for there to be isolated cases.

Were they experimenting on bio weapon?

Train of thought about SARS in China was just that.

Ebola again in Africa; New strain of COVID in US;Measles all over Europe;superbugs resistant to anti-biotics in UK hospitals
Is Gaia fighting back about our overpopulation?

AuntieE

grandMattie

It is said that the disease originated in Russia all those centuries ago, so its reappearance is not really surprising. Just pray that it doesn’t spread. Mind you, modern antibiotics are supposed to cure it - if the doctors recognise the symptoms!

It's reappearance is due to a laboratory worker inadvertantly breaking a test-tube and dying of the plague, poor girl. So it had nothing to do with global warming or permafrost.

Most scientists still believe y-pestis to have originated in India, where it still can be found.

Yes, I read that too and posted earlier, also asking

If this is true, what are scientists in Russia doing and why?

Are they trying to find a vaccine or different treatments if people are becoming resistant to antibiotics ? It can pass from person to person and is nearly always fatal unless treated.

If antibiotics are effective why are the Russians experimenting?
We may never have heard about this if this laboratory worker had not had an accident, as reported.

grandMattie

It is said that the disease originated in Russia all those centuries ago, so its reappearance is not really surprising. Just pray that it doesn’t spread. Mind you, modern antibiotics are supposed to cure it - if the doctors recognise the symptoms!

It's reappearance is due to a laboratory worker inadvertantly breaking a test-tube and dying of the plague, poor girl. So it had nothing to do with global warming or permafrost.

Most scientists still believe y-pestis to have originated in India, where it still can be found.

Get in touch with BBC Verify. They seem to get all their news from God and know about everything in the Universe and are therefore never wrong.

Sorted.

I've just watched Steve Rosenberg's report from Russia including round up of newspapers. No mention of plague. Two people killed by a bear in the laboratory region though.

Lots of info online, including that some States have temporarily closed their borders.
Sorry, can't give references at the moment, so could be Facebook fantasy.

fancythat

I shall use non spiky Politics from now on.

I put this in health, but I could have put it in Politics.

'Non spiky Politics is not a forum and if you think you can hide under the designation 'non spiky' to avoid challenge I suspect you will find yourself mistaken.

It's a bit scary but the CDC reports about 7 case of plague every year in the US although mainly bubonic, so not quite as deadly as pneumonic. The last death I know of was in 2025 in Arizona but there may have been others since. Not sure about cases worldwide but I'm sure there will be some.

We probably don't hear so much about it because we have the antibiotics to deal with it if treated quickly. One reason Covid was so scary was because no one knew what we were dealing with when it started and it caused many deaths quite quickly.

It did say on the BBC website that the WHO have asked Russia for an explanation and correct figures.

My guess is that they will be waiting a long time…

I've just checked online and I don't think that a second death has been reported yet. I heard on the radio that the problem is that if you do catch it and are not treated, it is almost always fatal. However it does respond well if antibiotics are given promptly.

fancythat

MawsRosie

What has been reported- and why?

butterandjam said I lied.

I neither lie in real life, nor on here.

I didn’t read it as that. If she had been referring to you she would have written Fancy’s lies, not fancy lies.

The phrase Please God help me to keep my mouth shut until I know what I’m talking about springs to mind.

I shall use non spiky Politics from now on.

I put this in health, but I could have put it in Politics.

MawsRosie

What has been reported- and why?

butterandjam said I lied.

I neither lie in real life, nor on here.

Graphite

This is being widely reported.

28-year-old laboratory technician Darya Shipilova has died from suspected pneumonic plague. It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas.

189 other people who had contact with her are being monitored with 12 individuals sent to the Anti-Plague Institute for observation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the plague is highly infectious and can be fatal if not treated early but it is treatable with antibiotics.

Thank you for some common sense

fancythat

Some people may want to read up about it.
200 have died in Russia so far?

I have seen 2 articles in Daily Mail. Not much elsewhere so far.

Sensationalist exaggeration