WHO seeks details on Russian plague lab death

The World Health Organization has requested information from Russia about the death of a lab worker researching plague in Siberia, with authorities investigating the cause and reporting all contacts tested negative for pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection and the most virulent form of plague, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, with symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing blood, and it can spread person-to-person through close contact via infected droplets. The disease has a short incubation period and is nearly always fatal if untreated, but responds well to antibiotics when caught early, and experts note plague remains endemic in rodent populations worldwide, making laboratory research vital for surveillance and vaccine development.