Confused by reports of plague researcher death.

[Legsess]

The Times, Sky News and the BBC, and I'm sure many more news outlets, are reporting on the sudden death of a scientist working in a plague research facility in Russia.

The reports often state that this form of plague is easily treatable with antibiotics, if administered quickly. But surely the plague resesrch facility would have been very aware of this and would have ensured their scientist was given all possible treatment as soon as possible following exposure to the bacteria?

https://news.sky.com/story/russian-laboratory-worker-dies-of-suspected-pneumonic-plague-as-200-under-medical-observation-13595297

Well it’s the Russians so you know they’re lying about everything.

Plague is endemic in lots of areas, including the US, and Siberia and Mongolia, both mentioned in the article. I don’t know why this is a story. Unless it’s actually a strain that isn’t endemic. Or the fact that it’s pneumonic means it’s spread between people faster and further than reported.

Plague has a terrifying history. But its present isn’t really. My worry would be it’s a permafrost strain that we don’t have antibiotics for.

" My worry would be it’s a permafrost strain that we don’t have antibiotics for."

Something like this would explain why the researcher died. Hoping for an alternative one though (obviously).

The chances of the world getting full transparency into the event seems very slim indeed.

Sounds like it was pneumonic which is obviously worse.

But loads of people get the plague every year and most survive. It’s less catching than covid. And doesn’t spread asymptomatically. Keep the masks handy!

Russians haven't even admitted it's plague at all yet have they?

It's Russia, so quite likely she had an accident, as speculated, and inhaled it, getting pnuemonic which needs treating immediately. But, since it's Russia, she didn't want to admit to having an accident in the lab and just hoped she hadn't been infected, so didn't get treated in time.

I had heard that bubonic plague was a disease the Russians had done germ warfare with, developing strains that are resistant to known antibiotics. So it could be that she was infected by a strain like that and that would be a concern. But they seem to be taking massive quarantine steps, and no more reported infections. So that's fairly reassuring.

I have seen photos of the scientists that were supposedly out on a field trip when this happened , photo of a scientist digging in the ground , do they dig up plague samples from the soil ? I’m thinking now a previous poster has mentioned permafrost , as it was a region in Siberia wasn’t it ?
I think it’s a bit bigger than reported
I think if They are stating over 200 are quarantined then those people are probably already unwell
lots of covering up going on and possible media clamp downs within Russia too ?
I suppose we will need to wait and see how this goes