Nakstad: Norway is prepared for pneumonic plague cases

Espen Rostrup Nakstad, former deputy health director, says Norway has robust systems to detect pneumonic plague if cases reach hospitals, and that the disease is treatable with antibiotics. Pneumonic plague spreads through droplets and is less contagious than influenza, Nakstad explains. The last major outbreak was in Madagascar in 2017, affecting around 800 people and managed by local health personnel. The US embassy has warned its citizens in Russia after a suspected plague death in Siberia, with about 200 people quarantined. WHO assesses the risk of spread outside Russia as very low.