Reports out of the Irkutsk region of Russia reveal a potential public health crisis developing in the area, after a lab accident released a “particularly dangerous infection” to a researcher, who later passed away.
Twenty-eight-year-old Darya Shipilovia, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, died two days after she was hospitalized, following exposure to a “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” according to Rospotrebnadzor, a federal agency that oversees health and safety. The pathogen in question has been said to be the deadly but treatable pneumonic plague.
According to several outlets, hospitals are under quarantine, with the number of shutdowns ranging from three to five. Reports from independent news sources such as The Moscow Times say that nearly 200 workers have been placed under observation.
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For those unaware, this is different from the "Black Death" type, which is bubonic plague. Pneumonic plague is spread via respiratory droplets.
*Edit- the Black Death did include Pneumonic plague, as other commenters have noted.
Pneumonic plague has a near 100% CFR (Case Fatality Rate), but is easily treated with antibiotics as long as it's done so early. The R0 (r-naught) of the bacteria varies from various studies around 1.3 up to 3.5. This is a general area of expertise of mine- Disaster Preparedness with a sub-set in Pandemics & Radiological Emergencies.
Within one day, we've gone from general reports that someone died due to being infected with this pathogen, to multiple hospitals being quarantined. Nobody should panic or buy all the TP rolls, but it's worth monitoring as there's a LOT we don't know, as official Russian News channels are denying anything is abnormally amiss.
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I will point out that a 100% CFR means this can't go pandemic as it kills it's hosts too quickly for the spread to be that rapid, especially out of Siberia...but it's still worrisome. A legit lab leak this time? Guh.
Oh well, Russia has been historically been very forthcoming with info about how these things happen when they have an accident that threatens the world right?
This post has been edited by QuickTidal: Yesterday, 12:52 PM
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