UK preppers are discussing emergency preparations after unverified reports of a plague outbreak in Russia following the death of a 28-year-old lab worker. Darya Shipilova, based at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, fell ill with severe pneumonia of "unknown origin" on September 29 and died on Friday, October 2.
Unconfirmed reports from sources within Russia and Europe suggest she may have accidentally smashed a tube containing live plague bacteria days before falling ill. Officials have responded by mandating extensive medical monitoring of people who may have come into contact with her.
Nearly 200 contacts under observation
Russian media reported last week that nearly 200 people known to have had contact with the deceased woman were placed under medical observation as a precautionary measure. The global community is now monitoring Russia while awaiting further details about the potential outbreak.
When questioned by a journalist for an "update on the suspected plague case in Russia", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated: "It seems that there was a worker at the lab that was infected and there's concern that, you know, could have spread, at least internally - you've seen them do quarantine of this and that nature."
"If something like that gets out, it can quickly spread. So we're watching and monitoring it closely. I don't think it's cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and the cause to just keep an eye on it and we're doing that."
Six steps UK preppers are taking
The case has also captured the attention of UK 'preppers' who hoard vital supplies, master practical survival techniques, and ready their homes for realistic emergencies such as severe flooding, storms, power outages, water shortages, or infrastructure breakdowns.
Within the UK Preppers community on Reddit, one user enquired how people were preparing for a potential plague outbreak. The post read: "What signals would make you concerned about a wider outbreak? You're plan? Chosen kit (I.e. mask)".
Hundreds of people replied with their potential strategies over the coming weeks and months, with many making the same six observations. One person commented: "If it comes here, plan to avoid human contact. All the COVID, social distancing measures will be relevant again. Masks and whatnot. Expect panic buying, get ahead of the curve. In all likelihood nothing will come of it."
A second contributed: "I would be looking at natural, less known remedies. Prevention is better than cure - raw clove of garlic a day, crushed, left to stand for 15 minutes then swallowed could help."
A third said: "Standard everyday hygiene out and about, regular hand washing, I carry hand gel and use after public transport etc anyway. Preventative nasal sprays - again I always use them for planes, might use them for general public transport if I remember. Get my annual flu jab. It is possible to get private Covid jabs, I haven't looked into what strains the latest ones cover though and they're about £90. Medicine cupboard is stocked with standard medications - paracetamol, decongestants, throat sweets. Monitoring devices - thermometer, pulse ox, blood pressure, so we can monitor ourselves if we get any symptoms."
What are the symptoms of plague?
There are multiple forms of the illness, but the variant sparking particular alarm in Russia is pneumonic plague, which targets the lungs. The UK Health Security Agency states that signs can include fever, headache, weakness and rapidly progressing pneumonia accompanied by breathlessness, chest pain and coughing.
Sufferers will also frequently cough up bloodied or watery mucus. Unlike the more widespread bubonic variant of plague, pneumonic plague can transmit directly from person to person via infectious respiratory droplets, typically needing close and extended contact. Plague symptoms typically emerge between one and seven days following infection.
Without medical intervention, pneumonic plague is generally fatal. Nevertheless, the condition stems from bacterial rather than viral causes and can consequently be effectively treated with antibiotics when detected early.
The UK Government website states: "Pneumonic plague is the rarest and also the most severe form of plague. It may result from spread to the lungs from advanced bubonic plague but is more usually due to inhalation of infectious particles. Person-to-person transmission is seen but the degree of contact needed is not clear. Patients present with a rapidly developing pneumonia and may produce bloody sputum. Untreated pneumonic plague is almost always fatal. Even with prompt recognition and treatment, mortality is around 30%. Pneumonic plague is classed as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID)."
At present, no commercially available vaccines exist.
