The EU health agency said it is watching a laboratory worker's death in Irkutsk that has been suspected as pneumonic plague, and reported no secondary cases.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on 6 October it is closely monitoring the death of a laboratory worker in Irkutsk from pneumonia suspected to be pneumonic plague. On the information it had, ECDC said there were no reports of secondary cases and no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
Pneumonic plague spreads through cough droplets and usually requires close, prolonged contact with a symptomatic person, the agency said. It noted there has not been a plague case in the EU for decades and that antibiotics available in the EU can treat the disease. ECDC said it is in contact with WHO Europe.
Russian authorities have not confirmed plague. A tracker citing Rospotrebnadzor and Russia's 6 October reply to WHO said the death was recorded as pneumonia of undetermined etiology, that no plague case was recorded in the patient or contacts, and that observation of about 200 contacts had ended with no plague-positive results. That account is a secondary compilation of official replies, not the WHO document itself.
ECDC's note does not say the case is confirmed. The gap between a suspected plague death and Russia's statement that no plague was found is unresolved in the public sources checked this hour.
The agency said it will keep monitoring. No EU case was reported in its note.
People Sentiments Mixed
- ECDC said there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
- Russia told WHO, according to a cited official reply, that no plague case was recorded in Irkutsk.