Uh, what’s happening in Russia?!
A worker at an anti-plague laboratory has died after developing pneumonia of undetermined origin, and about 200 people who reportedly came into contact with him have been placed under medical observation. It’s definitely enough to get people’s attention!
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According to information received from Russian officials and media reports, the woman used to work here Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East. regional governor Igor Kobsev Tests said no microorganisms linked to his professional activities were found in his body, and officials say there have been no new illnesses among other lab workers.
Kobsev said:
“Sanitary-epidemiological situation [in the area] It is stable at the moment.”
Meanwhile, an inpatient facility where the worker was reportedly treated has been placed under quarantine. Russian media have reported that about 200 people who came in contact with him are being medically monitored. FYI, Russian outlets have identified the woman as 28 years old, although authorities have not confirmed those details.
But regardless, now the international questions are heating up! A US State Department The spokesperson said:
“Many details have not been confirmed. We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.”
The spokesman was referring to reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region.
Secretary of State marco rubio Said:
“[Despite there being] “Travel between the US and Russia is very limited, so if something like this comes out it could spread quickly.”
Rubio said the United States is “watching and monitoring this closely.” He said:
“I don’t think it’s a cause for concern, but it’s a reason to be focused and a reason to keep an eye on it.”
World Health Organization He says he is aware of reports that a laboratory worker died of severe pneumonia, but stresses that no official cause of death has been confirmed – and the only possibility is plague. Suspicious At this point, it has not been confirmed.
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in the interim, kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov Said Russians should trust official information from internal investigation agency Rospotrebnadzor Instead of rumors and speculations. Peskov said:
“It is their official statements that should be trusted – rather than paying attention to various rumors, speculations and the like. Rospotrebnadzor employs highly qualified professionals in this field, so we should pay attention to their official statements.”
Meanwhile, former White House Covid response coordinator Dr Ashish Jha Says more information and transparency is needed. Still, he said pneumonic plague may be difficult to spread between people and said the likelihood of a large-scale outbreak or global pandemic is very low if it remains an isolated case.
Jha said:
“We may see some more people get infected, but the likelihood of this becoming a major outbreak, let alone a global pandemic, is very, very low. If these labs had weapons programs, biological weapons programs, that would be of much greater concern to me. We need to understand that now.”
No joke…
For your information, pneumonic plague is caused by the same bacteria that are responsible for bubonic plague and can spread through respiratory droplets from an infected person. Prompt treatment with antibiotics is important.
So, is this the start of something big??? Hopefully not.
But with one lab worker dead, a medical facility quarantined, and nearly 200 people under observation, it’s certainly a situation worth keeping a very close eye on.
[Image via WENN]