Russia Suspected Plague Case: Nearly 200 Under Observation in Irkutsk

The death of a worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Russia’s Irkutsk region, who succumbed to pneumonia, prompted a series of health safety measures for nearly 200 people that came into contact with the woman. Nevertheless, no official statement from Russian federal health authorities confirms whether or not the plague caused her death as her illness is labeled as pneumonia of unknown aetiology and is classified as a “particularly dangerous infection.”

What Happened in Irkutsk?

This is the story of a woman in her late 20s, working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute located in Shelekhov city, adjacent to the regional capital Irkutsk.

According to the reports, she developed pneumonia and went to a hospital where she was put on a respirator but unfortunately passed away on October 2. Reports claim that she may have broken a test tube with live bacteria due to some kind of a laboratory accident. The details of the laboratory accident have not been independently verified by the Russian government.

The incident became known because the woman was employed in a research institute dedicated to studying plague and other diseases.

What Have Russian Authorities Suggested About the Case?

According to the Russian federal body for protecting consumers’ health rights and public well-being, Rospotrebnadzor, the woman’s disease is considered to be “pneumonia of unknown aetiology” and not pneumonic plague infection.

The officials reported that certain specialized sanitary measures were taken after the case and the epidemiological situation in Irkutsk, Shelekhov, and the Irkutsk region remains stable.

At the same time, the head of the neighboring Buryatia region Alexei Tsydenov claims that the woman died of some form of plague, although other sources mention his words about possible plague infection. Tsydenov additionally assured that there is no plague outbreak in Buryatia including the territories close to Mongolia.

As the official information does not confirm the infection by plague bacteria, the case can be considered as a suspected plague infection only.

Almost 200 Contacts Under Supervision

Preventive measures have been taken in Shelekhov and Irkutsk.

As reported, 197 people, who potentially interacted with the deceased worker, were put under medical supervision, and more than 100 people are under supervision in hospitals. Shelekhov District Hospital was also put under quarantine as the authorities were considering the situation.

It has also been stated that the identified contacts do not show any symptoms and have been tested negatively so far. This means that the number of people under supervision should not be viewed as the number of infected people.

In addition, public events were canceled in Irkutsk as the authorities launched an investigation on health and safety regulation violations.

What is Pneumonic Plague?

Pneumonic plague is one of the forms of plague caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria and infecting the lungs.

The World Health Organization says that plague has three major clinical forms,

• Bubonic plague
• Pneumonic plague
• Septicaemic plague

The pneumonic plague is especially dangerous for its ability to spread among people through aerosols. It can develop both as a primary pulmonary disease or when another type of plague gets into the lungs.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of pneumonic plague may include,

• Fever
• Headache
• Weakness
• Fast-developing pneumonia
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Cough
• Bloody or watery sputum in some instances

However, the disease has a rapid course. Yet, the plague is treatable using antibiotics. Early diagnosis and treatment of this condition increase the patient’s chances to survive.

Transmission of the Disease

Yersinia pestis is a zoonotic bacteria usually found in populations of small mammals and their fleas.

Humans get the disease as a result of,

• Bite of an infected flea
• Contact with tissues and body fluids of an infected person
• Inhalation of respiratory droplets from a person suffering from pneumonic plague
• Contact with infectious materials in certain cases.

The mode of transmission depends on the type of the disease. Bubonic plague is usually transmitted via infected fleas, and pneumonic plague is transmitted through respiratory droplets.

Reasons Why The Case Has Attracted Concerns

The case has raised concerns as it is a case involving an employee at a laboratory conducting research on plague.

But some aspects are not yet confirmed,

• Whether the employee got infected with Yersinia pestis bacteria.
• Whether the report about the broken test tube was true.
• Whether her illness had anything to do with her laboratory work.
• Whether she died of pneumonic plague.
• Whether there has been any secondary infection.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases of infections among the people under observation by Russian health workers.