Russian Scientist's Death Highlights Pneumonic Plague Symptoms and Treatment

A suspected pneumonic plague case has emerged in Russia after a lab worker reportedly died, prompting health authorities to outline symptoms including fever, headache, and pneumonia, while officials monitor the situation. The 28-year-old employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute was hospitalized with severe pneumonia and died two days later, though Russian authorities have not confirmed plague as the cause, citing "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and no identified microorganisms. Pneumonic plague, the only form transmissible between people, can be fatal within 18-24 hours if untreated, but antibiotics are effective when delivered early, according to the World Health Organization.