Russia plague: How great is the global risk? Maybe low, but infectious disease experts want more data
Uncertainty surrounds the death of an employee at a Russian anti-plague institute. Here's what infectious disease experts say about how worried you should be.
TL;DR
- An employee at a Russian anti-plague institute died, possibly from plague, leading to a quarantine of nearly 200 people in eastern Siberia.
- The World Health Organization assesses the global risk as low, but some experts find it impossible to determine the risk without transparency from Russian authorities.
- Russian authorities have not yet publicly shared genetic code sequencing of the pathogen, which is typically done to assess risk levels.
- Experts suggest asking three questions to gauge global concern: escalation in new cases, implementation of quarantines/restrictions, and identification of novel pathogens.
- If plague is confirmed, it is treatable with early antibiotic intervention; however, the risk is uncertain if a different pathogen is involved.