Russia pneumonic plague revives fears of COVID-19: What are chances of virulent disease becoming another worldwide pandemic? Read Experts' opinions

Pneumonic plague in Russia and subsequent investigation, led by Russian officials, have revived memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and allegations the coronavirus may have emerged at a Chinese lab. WHO has not provided a definitive answer to how the Covid pandemic began. Following unverified reports concerning a suspected fatal case of pneumonic plague originating within Russia, apprehensions are there about whether Russian plague could become another global catastrophic pandemic or not.

The U.N. health agency said on Tuesday that it has been in contact with Russian authorities following reports of the death last week of a woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. The World Health Organization said a possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia presents a “very low” risk outside the country as investigators look into what caused the death of a lab employee there last week.

"There is currently no indication that we are dealing with anything similar to the pandemic," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told The Associated Press, referring to the woman's illness.


Russian Officials on Plague

Through an international health alert system, Russian health officials on Tuesday said a full range of preventive measures had been carried out — including tracing of the deceased woman's contacts, medical monitoring and lab tests.

"Test results showed no presence of dangerous infectious disease pathogens in any of the contacts," said the note from Russian authorities, which was relayed to The Associated Press by WHO.

"Based on available data, laboratory test results, and health status, medical monitoring for 100 per cent of the contacts has now been concluded," it said. “The epidemiological situation is stable and remains under monitoring,” the WHO stated.

The woman died at a hospital in Shelekhov, a town just outside the city of Irkutsk, and its mayor said the hospital was placed under quarantine. The top officials from Russia’s national public health watchdog traveled to the region on Friday.

WHO Experts on Case

Lindmeier, the WHO spokesman, told a U.N. briefing on Tuesday that the institute where the woman worked “studies dangerous pathogens,” including plague in a part of Siberia where the disease "occurs naturally in wild animals.”

He said Russian officials have not yet asked for WHO experts to deploy to Russia, where authorities are "looking into whether pneumonic plague caused her death.”

Russian authorities later told WHO that no case of plague has been recorded in Irkutsk, Lindmeier said. “According to the authorities, the woman’s illness initially presented as a typical acute respiratory viral infection," he said. “No case of plague or other high threat pathogen has been found," he said.

Pneumonic Plague Symptoms, Incubation Period

Pneumonic plague is a form of the disease that affects the lungs. The incubation period for pneumonic plague — which means lung-based, and is the most virulent form of the disease — can be as short as 24 hours, according to WHO. It’s a less common but severe form that can spread between people through respiratory particles. If untreated, the illness can be fatal, but recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time, WHO says.

Symptoms include shortness of breath and coughing, often involving the coughing up of blood. The more common form of plague — bubonic plague — is caused by the bite of an infected flea, and can develop into open sores filled with pus.

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that is mostly caused by viruses or bacteria, and is spread generally through contact with infected people or from airborne droplets. WHO says pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide.

Individuals suffering from pneumonic plague commonly experience elevated temperatures, cranial discomfort, and fatigue, preceding fast-onset pneumonia, breathing difficulties, thoracic discomfort, coughing fits, and occasionally blood-tinged or fluid-like secretions, per documentation from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Will Russian Plague Become Another Covid?

Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading, said that “plague carries a huge history and is still present in many parts of the world, including Russia,” although because of modern living conditions and antibiotics, its potential was limited.

Dr. Glenn Wortmann, at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said the bacteria that cause plague don't “travel very far” and a person would “really need to be face-to-face” with an infected person to get pneumonic plague.

“The chance of this spreading widely in Russia and then extending here to the U.S. will not happen, not with this type of bacteria, because it’s not spread easily and we have antibiotics to stop it from spreading,” he added.

Rajeev Jayadevan, Convener of the Research Cell at the Kerala State Indian Medical Association (IMA), highlighted that the pneumonic form is particularly critical because it affects the lungs and can rapidly progress to death in as little as 24 hours. However, the IMA Research Cell convenor emphasised that plague is a well-understood disease in modern medicine, and effective preventive measures, including targeted antibiotics, can safeguard an individual who comes into contact with an infected person.