▶ Watch Video: What we know about the death of a worker at Russian plague lab
U.S. and world health officials are calling on Russia to share more information after Russian media reports said a scientist at an infectious disease research facility in Siberia died after possibly contracting plague during a lab accident.
The reports have caused concern, even as the World Health Organization says “the public health risk to the general population appears to be low,” based on the current information.
Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, echoed that belief on “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday.
“The American public does not need to be worried,” she said.
Still, an official cause of death has not been made public and a lack of transparency from Russia has led some experts to question if the lab worker had the plague.
“The response doesn’t fit plague. It’s not congruent with plague,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told CBS News. “Plague is something, in the 21st century, that’s treatable with antibiotics.”
Here’s what to know.
Concern about situation in Russia
Russian media has reported that a female researcher, identified as Darya Shipilova, 28, died after being exposed to the plague in a lab accident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute. Initial reports said that Shipilova broke a test tube containing the plague bacteria Yersinia pestis in late September, came down with severe pneumonia and died of her illness.
The World Health Organization said Shipilova died of severe pneumonia overnight into Oct. 2.
Russian officials have since cast doubt on those reports. Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said there was no accident and that Shipilova had died of “pneumonia of unknown origin.”
The WHO said it was told by Russia on Oct. 6 that no plague was detected. The global health agency said it asked Russian authorities to provide information about which pathogen caused Shipilova’s illness.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday called on Russia to be more transparent, and said the nation should “share more information with the world.”
A State Department spokesperson later told CBS News that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had “engaged Russian authorities about the reported death” and “asked for additional information,” which it has encouraged Russia to share “quickly and transparently.”
The WHO said it is following the situation closely and requesting further information from Russian authorities.
What is plague?
Plague is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. There are three main types of plague: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.
Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague. Infected people may have painfully swollen lymph nodes known as buboes, along with fever and chills, a severe headache, body aches and exhaustion.
Septicemic plague happens when the Yersinia pestis bacteria enters the bloodstream. Patients may develop fever, chills, extreme weakness, abdominal pain, shock and possible internal bleeding. Some skin may turn black and die.
Pneumonic plague typically occurs when the other forms of plague are not treated and the Yersinia pestis bacteria infects the lungs. Patients develop pneumonia and may show fever, headache, weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and bloody or watery mucus. The pneumonia could cause respiratory failure. This is considered the most serious version of plague, and is always fatal if left untreated.
Russian media reports indicated that Shipilova may have died of pneumonic plague.
How does plague spread?
Plague is most commonly spread through the bite of fleas carried by infected rodents. Animals, including cats and dogs, can also become infected from eating smaller animals that were carrying those fleas.
Pneumonic plague can be spread between people. In cases of pneumonic plague, droplets emitted when a sick person coughs can lead to others becoming infected.
Russia’s health watchdog said that nearly 200 people who had come into contact with Shipilova before her death were tested, and none had plague.
How is plague treated?
Plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics, health organizations and doctors say. Patients need to be treated as soon as possible.
Researchers who regularly work with plague can also be vaccinated for it, Gounder noted.
Plague outbreaks in the Middle Ages killed millions, due to widespread, common flea and rat infestations and less understanding of how to prevent disease from spreading.
About seven plague cases are reported each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 80% of the cases in the U.S. are bubonic plague, the agency said.
Most U.S. cases occur in the West and Southwest. Cases are usually treated successfully, according to CDC data. The last fatal case of plague in the U.S. was recorded in 2021.
