FAQ: Pneumonic Plague

A 28-year-old laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia, in Shelekhov, Russia, has died after receiving a diagnosis of pneumonia of unknown origin, according to Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian agency responsible for infectious disease.¹ Authorities have put anti-epidemic measures in place, with all identified close contacts under medical supervision¹ and quarantines imposed at Irkutsk-area hospitals.³ Unofficial regional reports indicate that close to 200 people were placed under observation at the Shelekhov hospital where the technician was treated.¹ Russian officials have not confirmed the cause of death, although the head of neighboring Buryatia said the woman may have died of plague, and the US State Department said it is aware of the possible pneumonic plague death.¹ Pneumonic plague, infection of the lungs with Yersinia pestis, is the only form of the disease capable of spreading from person to person,² which is why a suspected laboratory-acquired case warrants close attention. The following FAQ reviews how pneumonic plague presents, how it is treated, and what the risk looks like for patients in the United States.