Plague Outbreak in Russia and Its Risks

A Russian lab worker is dead. Hundreds of people are in quarantine.

So is the plague that caused the Black Death about to

spread once

again? The plague is caused by bacteria called

Yersinia

pestis and comes in several forms.

Bubonic plague is spread by the bites of infected fleas,

causing painful swellings under the skin.

The Black Death in the 14th century killed between a third and

half of Europe's population. But the bacteria can also cause the even

more deadly pneumonic plague. It can spread from person to

person and is inhaled as infectious droplets.

It is highly contagious, causing a severe lung infection, and

is nearly always fatal, leading to death in as little as

18 hours, unless it's treated fast.

The Black Death was just one of several pandemics caused by plague

bacteria in the past. But these days, there are fewer cases,

between 1,000 and 2,000 a year, normally as bubonic

plague. Most cases are in parts of Africa and Asia, but

even in the United States, there are a handful of people infected each

year. Antibiotics are highly effective against both forms of

the disease

if they're given in time, and global deaths are now generally below

200 a year. But with any outbreak of such an

infectious and dangerous pathogen, containment is a

priority, and we will know within days whether

efforts in Russia to shut

down the spread have worked. This isn't another COVID coming out

of nowhere to sweep the globe. This is a known bacteria.