After a laboratory worker at a plague research institute in southeastern Russia fell ill and died, authorities quarantined dozens of people. The case prompted social media posts expressing fears of another pandemic.
But experts say Americans likely don’t need to worry about an outbreak reaching the United States.
“The risk right now is negligibly low, and the chances of it to spread to our homeland is very less likely,” Dr. Rutul Dalal, an infectious disease physician at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, told USA TODAY.
Dalal said he understands the concern, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, but pointed to a key difference: plague can be treated with antibiotics.
“We have antibiotics for treatment and for prophylaxis, and if given within the first 24 hours of symptoms, has an excellent track record of having great results,” Dalal said. That contrasts with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when no vaccine or medication was available to fight the virus.
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, urged people to “remain calm” but also “be vigilant.”
Officials Say Risk to the U.S. Is Low
U.S. and European officials are tracking the situation. A State Department spokesperson said the agency was aware of reports of a fatal suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia and was monitoring developments alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’re watching and monitoring it closely. I don’t think it’s cause for alarm,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Oct. 5.
People who came in contact with the lab worker were quarantined and had not shown signs of infection as of Oct. 5, according to Maxim Modin, mayor of the nearby town of Shelekhov. He said local medical facilities had reopened and were accepting patients.
“All individuals who came into contact with the woman have been identified, examined, and are under medical observation with daily laboratory tests,” Modin said in a social media post.
What Is Pneumonic Plague?
Plague has three forms that affect different parts of the body. Pneumonic plague infects the lungs and can cause a patient to cough up infectious droplets that spread through the air. If identified quickly, it can be treated with antibiotics. Without treatment, it can be fatal in one to six days.
Pneumonic plague is the most dangerous form of the illness because it can spread from person to person and cause severe epidemics.
The illness killed tens of millions of people in Europe and Eurasia in the 14th century during a pandemic known as the Black Death. Today, plague is rare, though it occasionally infects people in parts of the western United States, Asia and Africa.
Contributing: Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAY, and Reuters.
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