#Community #Transmission of Pneumonic #Plague, Fenoarivobe, #Madagascar, 2022

 

Abstract

The results of an outbreak investigation of pneumonic plague conducted in the plague-endemic district of Fenoarivobe, Madagascar, revealed a familial cluster of plague. Transmission was aided by intrahousehold contact or gatherings and was amplified by delayed plague treatment, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and rapid initiation of appropriate therapy.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.260549

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#Taiwan CDC #statement regarding a suspected #plague incident in #Russia, in response to #WHO's information (Oct. 8 '26)

 

    The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated on October 8, 2026, regarding recent international media reports of a death from pneumonia of unknown cause reported on October 2, 2026, at the Irkutsk Plague Control Institute in Siberia, Russia, followed by a second suspected plague death on October 6. 

    To closely monitor the international epidemic situation, the CDC, through its counterpart in Taiwan's International Health Regulations (IHR), inquired with the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 6 to verify relevant epidemic information.

    The CDC indicated that the WHO officially responded on October 7. According to information provided by the WHO, Russian authorities informed the WHO on October 6 that no plague cases had been reported in the Irkutsk region recently. 

    Regarding the severe pneumonia case involving an employee of the Irkutsk Plague Control Institute, the country has launched an epidemiological investigation and initiated relevant prevention and control measures. All contacts have been identified and tested, and no high-threat pathogens have been detected so far.

    The WHO stated that due to incomplete information regarding the case, it is currently insufficient to draw empirical conclusions regarding whether this event poses a potential risk to the public, and caution is needed while conducting dynamic risk assessments. 

    The WHO Director-General also issued a public statement on October 6th, formally requesting Russian authorities to clarify the exact cause of the first case of severe pneumonia, the pathogen that led to the implementation of large-scale public health measures, and to provide specific explanations regarding media reports of a second case of pneumonia of unknown cause. 

    The WHO will continue to maintain contact with Russian authorities and actively verify the veracity of media reports.

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated that Taiwan has not reported any cases of plague since 1953. 

    Furthermore, according to WHO statistics, between 2019 and 2025, a total of 3,860 suspected cases of plague have been reported in 10 countries globally, of which 2,646 were confirmed cases, resulting in 423 deaths (a case fatality rate of 11% for suspected cases). 

    Approximately 98% of confirmed cases globally were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar; neighboring countries such as China reported 19 confirmed cases, and Mongolia reported 17 confirmed cases.

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) emphasized that it has been closely monitoring the development of the outbreak, strengthening quarantine measures such as fever screening at borders, and has established relevant testing capacity and an infectious disease prevention and control medical network in Taiwan. 

    The relevant treatment drugs are also readily available and stably supplied antibiotics in domestic clinical medicine, which can be used for diagnosis, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis. 

    The public is urged not to panic excessively.

Source: 

Link: https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Bulletin/Detail/ZSgA4XCBC3WbeC0Wb8Em-g?typeid=9

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#WHO DG's opening #remarks at the media #briefing {about suspected #plague cases in #Russia & #Ebola Bundibugyo in #DRC} (WHO, 7 October 2026, extracts)

{Excerpts}

7 October 2026 | Remarks | Geneva 

    Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

    Last Friday, the 2nd of October, the first media reports emerged of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute in the Russian Federation.

    The lab worker died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Initial media reports suggested pneumonic plague following an accidental lab exposure.

    WHO is aware that the Russian government held a meeting on the 2nd of October because they suspected a resident of the Irkutsk oblast had contracted a dangerous infection.

    On Saturday, WHO asked the Russian Federation for more information, in accordance with the International Health Regulations.

    Yesterday, the Russian Federation responded, saying that no case of plague had recently been reported in the Irkutsk oblast, and that they had placed about 200 contacts in quarantine.

    However, WHO has requested further information on the laboratory tests conducted on the individual who died and the contacts, more detail on what prompted the public health measures, and details about the health status of the contacts.

    We have also sought verification of media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.

    WHO has offered technical support related to plague and lab biosafety and biosecurity.

    As we don’t yet have the full picture of this event, we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment.

    Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks.

===

    Now to the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    The number of confirmed cases has now reached 8665, with 4178 confirmed deaths.

    In some areas, there are clear signs that the epidemic is slowing down, although in others it is continuing to grow.

    Since the outbreak began, contact tracing has improved significantly, around 2000 alerts are reported every day, and about 5 million people have been reached through community engagement activities.  

    Clinical trials of therapeutics are progressing, with more than 600 people enrolled;

    A vaccine trial is expected to start later this month, and we are working on ensuring access to these products should they prove efficacious in trials.

    These advances are the result of hard work over many months, by communities and partners under the leadership of the government.

    But we continue to face significant challenges.

    The majority of deaths still happen in the community instead of in treatment centres, and contact tracing is still not at the level needed.

    And we cannot forget that this epidemic is unfolding in an area beset by a prolonged humanitarian crisis.

    While transmission is going down overall, new hotspots continue to appear, including in areas close to the border with South Sudan.

    And as you know, Kenya yesterday reported a case of Ebola in a Kenyan citizen who fell ill in DRC, was treated at several facilities there, then travelled to the Kenyan capital Nairobi via the Ugandan capital Kampala.

    Immediately upon arrival in Nairobi, he was taken to hospital where he was isolated and Ebola was confirmed. He received care but died on Monday this week.

    Kenyan authorities are monitoring 55 contacts, including passengers and crew who were with the patient on the flight from Kampala to Nairobi.

    Yesterday, I spoke to the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the case and the measures that Kenya had taken to prepare for an event like this.

    I commend the Kenyan government for its prompt action and for reporting the case to WHO under the International Health Regulations in a timely way.

    WHO advises against blanket travel or trade restrictions, which are less effective than screening, contact tracing and other measures. 

    Transparency should be rewarded, not punished.

(...)

Source: 

Link: https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---7-october-2026

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Suspicion of #plague in a #Russia #laboratory resurfaces; #WHO demands explanation for {a possible} second death (Sina, Oct. 7 '26)

 

{Extracts, edited}

Suspicion of a plague leak from a Russian laboratory is escalating? A "second death" has been reported, and the WHO has demanded an explanation from Russia. #OverseasNews#

　　A staff member at a plague research facility in Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia, recently died. The laboratory worker died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia, leading to speculation that it might be related to pneumonic plague.

    The recent news of a second death from pneumonia of unknown cause in the region has once again drawn attention. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus publicly stated that the WHO has requested further information from Russia to verify the reports and clarify the specific circumstances of the two cases.

    According to foreign media reports, the British newspaper Daily Mail, citing local media sources, claims that another person may have died in the Irkutsk region. However, this claim has not yet been confirmed by Russian health authorities or the WHO.

    The local independent media outlet Baikal also reported that recent reports about the "plague" have begun to decrease, with some media outlets deleting related content.

    According to other reports, the Baikalsk city government had previously issued a notice advising residents to temporarily avoid traveling to Sherekhov. The notice stated that due to "unofficial information," cases of plague might have been discovered in the area. However, the notice was reportedly deleted approximately two hours after its release.

    The WHO has asked Russia to explain the situation of the "second case".

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently stated on the social media platform X that the WHO has been monitoring the death of a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Institute of Virology and Epidemiology since related media reports emerged.

    According to a previous notification from the Russian health authorities to the WHO, the staff member died on October 2 after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia.

    Some media outlets previously reported that the death may have been related to accidental exposure in the laboratory and pneumonic plague, but this claim has not yet been confirmed by authoritative departments.

    The Russian health authorities have informed the WHO that no new cases of plague have been registered in the region recently. Russia has launched an epidemiological investigation and implemented preventative and control measures, including medical observation and testing of identified contacts.

    The Russian side stated that no high-risk pathogens were found among the relevant contacts, and all confirmed contacts have completed medical observation.

    However, the WHO still requests Russia to provide more information, including the specific cause of the staff member's severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted Russia to take public health measures, and the specific details of the so-called "second employee with unexplained pneumonia" reported in the media.

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that timely, complete, and transparent information sharing is crucial for clarifying conflicting reports and accurately assessing potential public health risks.

    There is still a lack of authoritative evidence regarding a "laboratory leak".

    Earlier reports indicated that Darya Shipilova, a female researcher at a plague research institution in Sherekhov, Irkutsk Oblast, accidentally broke a test tube containing pneumonic plague pathogens while collecting samples on September 25 and died on October 2.

    The report also stated that approximately 200 people were identified as close contacts, and some were placed under quarantine or medical observation.

    However, it should be noted that the claims of "test tube rupture leading to pneumonic plague infection," "laboratory leak," and "a second death" all have varying degrees of information gaps and cannot yet be considered as confirmed.

    The most pressing question now is whether Russia will release the final test results for the deceased, as well as the specific details of the so-called "second case."

    Until this crucial information is clarified, it remains to be further investigated whether this incident is a case of ordinary severe pneumonia or involves high-risk pathogens such as plague.

(...)

Source: 

Link: https://k.sina.com.cn/article_7295511724_1b2d8acac04001jmsw.html?from=pcsearch

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#Russia, An Unconfirmed #Report on a Second #Fatal Case of #Plague linked to the first in the #Irkutsk Region (via Baidu, Oct. 7 '26)

 

{Excerpts, edited.}

(...)

    A 28-year-old female researcher working at the Irkutsk Plague Control Institute was hospitalized on September 29 with severe pneumonia and died in Sherekhov on October 2. 

    Russian authorities stated the cause of death was undetermined and no occupational pathogens were detected; however, independent media outlets reported further deaths in quarantine areas and hospital capacity restrictions, presenting inconsistent information.

(...)

    Before her hospitalization on September 29, Shipilova was described by colleagues as having participated in fieldwork in the Buryat region, near the Mongolian border. 

    Local media also reported that she broke test tubes containing live bacteria in the laboratory, but this detail has not been confirmed by Russian officials. 

    Rospotrebnadzor's investigation concluded that no evidence of an accident involving the handling of pathogenic microorganisms was found.

    The number of contacts varies slightly from source to source, with foreign media reports totaling approximately 197 to 200, some of whom are hospitalized for observation. 

    Subsequent official reports indicated that common respiratory pathogens such as COVID-19 and rhinovirus were detected among those under observation, but no dangerous pathogens associated with Yersinia pestis were detected. 

    According to the WHO's report from Russia on October 6, no cases of pneumonic plague have been registered in Irkutsk.

    Around October 1st, the hospital where Sherekhov was treated implemented limited entry and exit, with some departments suspending admissions and discharges. 

    Independent media outlets have described the limited access and closed-loop management of the First, Third, and Tenth Clinical Hospitals in Irkutsk, as well as the Ivano-Matreninskaya Children's Hospital, as a "pandemic model" or "three-week quarantine," though this has not been fully confirmed by officials.

    On October 3, the Baikalsk government posted on Telegram, advising residents to postpone travel to Sherekhov and surrounding areas due to "unofficial confirmed cases of plague in Sherekhov." The post was deleted approximately two hours later. Independent media outlet The Insider reported that REN TV removed five articles related to the incident; Channel 5 and some print media articles were also taken down.

(...)

    On October 2nd, an aluminum plant required employees to wear masks, which was later changed to seasonal respiratory disease prevention on October 4th. 

    Personnel in protective suits were seen at the entrances of childcare facilities and some hospitals, and residents photographed fully equipped staff entering and exiting the Sherekhov medical center. 

    British media reported a 5000% year-on-year increase in searches for the Russian word "chuma," reflecting public panic, but not necessarily indicating a confirmed diagnosis.

    The second death came from independent media reports after October 6th, stating that another person had died in the isolation hospital, possibly a medical staff member or a former patient. 

    Neither Rospotrebnadzor nor the WHO's current reports have confirmed a second death from plague or pneumonic plague. The official wording in the report can only retain phrases like "media reports, awaiting etiological report."

(...)

    Four points need to be verified: whether sputum culture, blood culture, and PCR of the deceased detected Yersinia pestis and phage typing; the fever conversion rate of approximately 200 contacts after October 9; whether the WHO obtained the original test reports; and whether the pathological autopsy in the isolation ward of Sherekhov Hospital was made public. 

    Without all four points, the second case and the laboratory leak remain at the level of suspicion.

Source: 

Link: https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1878371860695545357&wfr=spider&for=pc

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Notes from the Field: #Fatal Pneumonic #Plague — Coconino County, #Arizona, July 2025

 

Summary

    ° What is already known about this topic?

        § Pneumonic plague is a rare and often fatal disease that can be transmitted by respiratory droplets from animals or persons infected with Yersinia pestis bacteria.

    ° What is added by this report?

        § In July 2025, Arizona reported its first pneumonic plague death since 2007, in a man with occupational exposure to ill cats. Two days after the patient’s death, preliminary diagnostic test results supported a suspected pneumonic plague diagnosis, prompting immediate identification of potentially exposed persons for postexposure prophylaxis.

    ° What are the implications for public health practice?

        § In areas with endemic plague, preliminary diagnostic test results combined with clinical suspicion for pneumonic plague can result in timely public health interventions.

Abstract

Pneumonic plague is transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets containing the bacterium Yersinia pestis and has a nearly 100% case-fatality rate when untreated. Although Y. pestis is endemic among rodents in northern Arizona, only eight human plague cases were reported in Arizona during 2000–2024. In July 2025, Arizona reported its first pneumonic plague death since 2007.

Source: 

Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7538a2

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