A 28-year-old woman has died after contracting the Black Death, prompting authorities to order around 200 people into quarantine. Darya Shipilova passed away after breaking a test tube while working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, according to a local media source.
Woman Hospitalised and Placed on Ventilator
Shipilova was hospitalised on September 29 and died two days after being put on a ventilator. Following her death, roughly 200 people who may have come into contact with her have been quarantined. The local outlet, People of Baikal, has not elaborated on the details.
The Russian health ministry has not issued an immediate response. However, Alexei Tsydenov, governor of Russia's Buryatia region, stated there have been reports in the Irkutsk region that a woman “died of plague.”
Officials Respond to Suspected Case
Irkutsk governor Igor Kobzev stated: “We held an extraordinary meeting of the regional sanitary and anti-epidemic commission with the participation of Russia's Chief State Sanitary Doctor Anna Popova.”
“The reason was information that had emerged about a suspected case of a particularly dangerous infectious disease in a resident of the region.” Earlier, Kobzev refused to name the suspected disease. He stated: “All identified contacts have been placed under medical observation.”
He added: “As of today, none of the contacts has any signs of illness, and their laboratory test results are negative.”
The mayor of the nearby town of Shelekhov, Maxim Modin, told residents to “not to spread rumours or unreliable information.” Modin stated: “It is too early to draw final conclusions – we will wait for the specialists' findings.”
History and Modern Treatment of the Plague
The Black Death – one of the worst pandemics in human history – ravaged Europe between 1346 and 1353, killing an estimated 50 million people. It was caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis, which is spread by wild rodents, such as rats and fleas. It is believed to have started in Central Asia and spread around the world through trade.
Medical experts believe the Black Death should be able to be treated by antibiotics. But there are fears the disease could evolve over time. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said that most diseases can make a comeback.
He said: “The issue is whether they've actually gone or not. A lot of infections that were common once and still spread within society then come back with force in the future. Globally, we typically see one or two significant emergences or re-emergences a year on average.”
“It can still be very nasty and even fatal, but with adequate treatment, people shouldn't be dying of the plague anymore, even if they catch it.”
