{"id":32861,"date":"2026-10-05T16:45:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=32861"},"modified":"2026-10-05T16:45:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:45:58","slug":"what-is-pneumonic-plague-200-people-under-watch-as-russia-scare-puts-spotlight-on-deadly-lung-infection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=32861","title":{"rendered":"What is Pneumonic Plague? 200 people under watch as Russia scare puts spotlight on deadly lung infection"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134712344,imgsize-83900,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg\" alt=\"What is Pneumonic Plague? 200 people under watch as Russia scare puts spotlight on deadly lung infection\" title=\"The woman, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was admitted to hospital on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"The woman, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was admitted to hospital on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator.\">The woman, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was admitted to hospital on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Around 200 employees at a Russian anti-plague institute are being monitored after coming into contact with a 27-year-old woman who died following severe pneumonia, amid reports that she may have contracted pneumonic plague.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The incident in Irkutsk, a city in eastern Siberia, has raised concerns about a possible outbreak. However, Russian health authorities have said extensive testing has so far found no evidence that the woman was infected with plague or any other microorganism linked to her professional activities.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2><b>What happened in Irkutsk<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/>The woman, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was admitted to hospital on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>She died overnight between October 1 and 2.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>On October 2, The Moscow Times reported that an emergency meeting of the Sanitary and Anti-Epidemic Commission was held jointly by Irkutsk region governor Igor Kobzev and Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia&#8217;s national public health and consumer rights agency.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>\u201cAll identified contacts have been placed under medical observation. Currently, they show no signs of illness, and laboratory tests are negative,\u201d Kobzev said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>He added that Rospotrebnadzor was implementing \u201ca full range of anti-epidemic measures\u201d.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>Local media reported two theories about how the woman could have been exposed to the bacterium.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>One theory was that she had recently returned from a work trip to the Buryatia region, where a plague outbreak was reportedly being reported near the border with Mongolia.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>Another suggested that she may have accidentally broken a test tube containing a dangerous bacterium in a laboratory.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>These reports led to speculation that she had contracted pneumonic plague. But on Sunday, Rospotrebnadzor said she had been diagnosed with \u201cpneumonia of unknown etiology\u201d. It said \u201cextensive\u201d testing had found \u201cno microorganisms associated with the patient\u2019s professional activities\u201d.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2><b>What is pneumonic plague<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>Plague is a serious infectious disease caused by <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Yersinia pestis<\/span>, a bacterium that normally circulates among small mammals and their fleas but can infect humans.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can spread between animals and humans. Plague has three main forms: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Pneumonic plague is the most serious form because it infects the lungs and can progress extremely rapidly. Unlike bubonic plague, which primarily affects the lymph nodes, pneumonic plague can also spread directly from person to person through respiratory droplets.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>According to Dr Vikas Mittal, Director and Pulmonologist at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi, pneumonic plague presents as a rapidly progressive form of pneumonia, typically causing fever, chest pain, cough and breathlessness.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>The infection can develop in two ways.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/>Primary pneumonic plague occurs when a person inhales respiratory secretions or aerosolised droplets from an infected animal or person. It can also occur following laboratory exposure.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>Secondary pneumonic plague develops when the bacteria spread through the bloodstream in someone who already has bubonic or septicemic plague. This can happen when treatment is delayed.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"48\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3><b>What happens when someone gets pneumonic plague<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>The illness usually begins abruptly and can worsen very quickly.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"53\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pneumonic Plague symptoms\" msid=\"134712082\" imgsize=\"567217\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"Symptoms that can indicate Pneumonic Plague\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-567217,msid-134712082\/pneumonic-plague-symptoms.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Symptoms that can indicate Pneumonic Plague<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"55\"\/>\u201cIllness is typically abrupt, with sudden onset of dyspnea, high fever, pleuritic chest pain, and cough that may be accompanied by characteristic bloody sputum,\u201d Dr Mittal said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"57\"\/>The disease can initially resemble other severe forms of pneumonia, making early recognition important.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>Chest imaging also does not provide a definitive diagnosis. \u201cChest imaging is not specific and may show bronchopneumonia, consolidation, cavities, or pleural effusions; hilar or mediastinal adenopathy can sometimes be seen,\u201d Dr Mittal said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"62\"\/>The speed at which treatment begins is critical.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"64\"\/>\u201cPneumonic plague can be rapidly fatal unless effective antibiotics are started early, and untreated mortality is very high,\u201d Dr Mittal said, adding that delays in starting antibiotics are associated with a higher risk of death.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"66\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3><b>How does pneumonic plague spread<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"68\"\/>Primary pneumonic plague can occur after inhalation exposure to respiratory droplets from an infected person or animal.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"70\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"how pneumonic plague spreads\" msid=\"134712191\" imgsize=\"520942\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"How the Pneumonic Plague gets transmitted, and what chest imaging may show.\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-520942,msid-134712191\/how-pneumonic-plague-spreads.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>How the Pneumonic Plague gets transmitted, and what chest imaging may show.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"72\"\/>The incubation period is short, ranging from a few hours to a few days. <!-- -->Human-to-human transmission through respiratory droplets has been documented, but Dr Mittal said it appears most likely to occur after very close contact.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"76\"\/>This means a suspected case can have significant public health implications, particularly if the illness is not recognised quickly.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"78\"\/>However, outbreaks can be contained. Treating infected patients promptly and providing preventive treatment to people who have been exposed are key measures used to stop transmission.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"81\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3><b>How is pneumonic plague diagnosed<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"83\"\/>Because the early symptoms can resemble severe pneumonia caused by many other infections, doctors need a high degree of suspicion when there is a relevant exposure history.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"85\"\/>Diagnosis can be established by isolating <span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Yersinia pestis<\/span> through culture, or through appropriate serological or rapid testing.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"89\"\/>\u201cTimely diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion,\u201d Dr Mittal said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"91\"\/>Because of the possibility of respiratory transmission, infection-control measures are also important.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"94\"\/>\u201cPatients suspected of having plague should be placed on droplet precautions until pneumonia has been ruled out, sputum cultures are negative, and at least 48 hours of effective antimicrobial therapy has been administered,\u201d Dr Mittal said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"96\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2><b>Russia&#8217;s neighbours raise alert<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"98\"\/>The reports from Irkutsk have also prompted neighbouring countries to increase precautionary measures, according to The Moscow Times.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"100\"\/>Kazakhstan&#8217;s health ministry said sanitary and quarantine checks were being carried out at state border crossings. <!-- -->So far, it said, no arrivals had been found to have elevated temperatures, signs of illness or suspected particularly dangerous infections.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"104\"\/>In Kyrgyzstan, sanitary and quarantine checkpoints were placed on high alert, with specialists screening people, vehicles and cargo crossing the border.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"107\"\/>Uzbekistan&#8217;s sanitary and epidemiological committee also increased the readiness of services responsible for preventing the entry of particularly dangerous infections.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"110\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2><b>Kremlin urges Russians to ignore rumours<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"112\"\/>Amid growing speculation online, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov on Monday urged Russians not to believe rumours about a possible plague outbreak in Irkutsk.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"114\"\/>\u201cThe lead agency with jurisdiction in this area is Rospotrebnadzor. And we should rely on Rospotrebnadzor&#8217;s official statements, without listening to various rumours and speculation,\u201d he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"116\"\/>Additionally, governor Kobzev said no new cases of staff from the Anti-Plague Institute seeking medical attention were identified.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"118\"\/>For now, Russian authorities say the people who came into contact with the woman are under medical observation, with no signs of illness and negative laboratory tests.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/rest-of-world\/what-is-pneumonic-plague-200-people-under-watch-as-russia-scare-puts-spotlight-on-deadly-lung-infection\/articleshow\/134712038.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The woman, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was admitted to hospital on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator. Around 200 employees at a Russian anti-plague institute are being monitored after coming into contact with a 27-year-old woman who died following severe pneumonia, amid reports that she [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The woman, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was admitted to hospital on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator. Around 200 employees at a Russian anti-plague institute are being monitored after coming into contact with a 27-year-old woman who died following severe pneumonia, amid reports that she [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":6,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":6,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/chatgpt-image-oct-5-2026-09_47_47-pm.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32861\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}