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What is pneumonic plague? What to know after woman in Russia diesmysteriously
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- A 28-year-old woman working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Russia died of pneumonia with an undetermined cause, raising concerns about a possible pneumonic plague infection, though no confirmation has been made.
- The U.S. State Department and CDC are monitoring the case, while nearly 200 people who had contact with the woman are under medical observation amid uncertainties about the source and nature of her illness.
- Pneumonic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, is the rarest and deadliest form of plague, spreading through respiratory droplets in close contact and requiring prompt antibiotic treatment to prevent rapid fatality.
- Despite its severity, pneumonic plague is not highly contagious over long distances and differs significantly from airborne diseases like Covid-19 in its transmission dynamics.
- The plague still occurs in limited cases in the U.S., primarily in rural Southwest regions, but effective antibiotics have made large outbreaks and deaths rare in modern times.
