Jakarta, ThedailyID — The death of a laboratory worker in Irkutsk, Russia, has drawn global attention amid concerns about a possible plague infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is reportedly reviewing the case. Indonesia’s Health Ministry is also monitoring the situation.
Plague is a rare and potentially deadly infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Scientists consider some forms of the disease particularly dangerous because they can progress rapidly.
The most common form is bubonic plague. It can develop after an infected flea bites a person or when bacteria enter through an open wound.
The infection can cause swelling and pain in the lymph nodes. Another form, septicemic plague, affects the bloodstream and can lead to organ failure.
There is also pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs. The disease can spread between people through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Plague has a long history. The Black Death pandemic in the 14th century killed more than 50 million people in Europe, according to the source.
However, plague has not disappeared. Antibiotics now make the disease more manageable, although cases still occur in several parts of the world.
According to WHO records cited by CNN, most human cases since the 1990s have occurred in Africa.
Symptoms can appear quickly, particularly in pneumonic plague. Reported symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and shortness of breath.
Without treatment, plague can be fatal. Doctors generally treat the infection with antibiotics for at least 10 to 14 days.
Early treatment can improve the chances of recovery. The source notes that patients who receive antibiotics within the first 24 hours have better prospects.
Despite the concern surrounding the Russian case, WHO says the risk to the general public remains low.
Rutul Dalal, an infectious disease physician at Penn State Health St Joseph Medical Center, said symptoms can develop rapidly.
“[Plague makes someone] very difficult to walk, perform daily activities, let alone travel,” Dalal said.
