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Is a new pandemic approaching? Health alerts have been raised worldwide after the death of an employee at a Russian laboratory dedicated to the study of the plague and other deadly infections was reported.
According to the information available so far, the woman, identified as Darya Shipilova, allegedly died from pneumonic plague shortly after breaking a test tube inside the laboratory, located at the Anti-Plague Research Institute of Irkutsk, in Siberia.
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The 28-year-old technician was diagnosed with pneumonia of “unknown” origin, according to the Russian infectious disease agency Rospotrebnadzor. The incident allegedly occurred at the end of September, and she passed away two days later after being admitted to a hospital and placed on a ventilator.
The technician's case has raised alarms globally because there are now about 200 people she had contact with after becoming infected, who have been placed under quarantine. In addition to this, it has been reported that three hospitals in the region have been placed under health security measures.
After the news broke, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States was closely monitoring the situation and that, so far, it was not a cause for alarm: “I don't think it's cause for alarm, but it is cause for attention and for being vigilant.”
For its part, the agency in charge of infectious diseases and other Russian authorities have minimized the risks and downplayed the death of the researcher due to direct contact with the infection.
Data cited by CNN from Russian media outlets states that no cases of infectious diseases have been registered among the laboratory staff and that tests and examinations have been conducted on people who had contact with the victim.
According to the media outlet, the Kremlin has asked the public to remain calm and to rely only on what is reported by Rospotrebnadzor authorities.
What is pneumonic plague and how dangerous is it?
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonic plague, or pulmonary plague, is the most virulent form of the plague. Anyone with this disease can infect others through respiratory droplets; the incubation period, the health agency states, is 24 hours.
Experts point out that pneumonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which is found in small mammals and transmitted by their fleas.
Humans can be infected through:
- Picadura de pulgas infectadas
- Contacto sin protección con fluidos corporales infecciosos o materiales contaminados
- Inhalación de partículas respiratorias procedentes de un paciente con peste neumónica
The WHO warns that pneumonic plague is especially “contagious and can trigger severe epidemics through person-to-person transmission via respiratory droplets.”
What are the symptoms of pneumonic plague?
Severe respiratory symptoms include:
- Dificultad para respirar
- Tos
- Esputo o flema con sangre
If not diagnosed or treated immediately, the plague can be fatal.
[Publicidad]