As concerns arise over a pneumonia outbreak in Russia linked to potential plague infections, South Korea's disease control authorities have assessed the risk of domestic transmission as very low.
During a regular briefing on October 12, the Korea Disease Control Agency (KDCA) stated regarding the suspected plague cases in Russia, "Following a rapid risk assessment on October 7, we evaluated the likelihood of occurrence as 'very low' and the potential impact as 'low.'"
The KDCA cited that no additional symptoms have emerged among contacts of the deceased, and there have been no reports of pathogen detection. The contacts are currently under quarantine.
Furthermore, the agency noted that even if the recent death is confirmed as a plague infection, pneumonic plague is highly treatable with early antibiotic intervention. They assured that the stockpile and distribution of antibiotics in the country are sufficient to manage any potential cases.
While the KDCA maintains a very low assessment of the risk of plague entering the country, they will continue to monitor developments in Russia. An emergency meeting was held that afternoon to review the situation and reassess the risk level.
According to foreign media reports, on October 2, Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old researcher at a plague research institute in Siberia, died from "unknown pneumonia." She was known to handle high-risk pathogens, including the plague bacterium.
In response, Russian health authorities stated that tests on Shipilova's remains found no traces of the pathogens or plague bacteria she was working with. Two investigations at the research facility confirmed that there were no emergency situations, such as pathogen leaks, and no additional infections were detected among contacts in the Irkutsk region.
However, skepticism remains regarding the Russian authorities' transparency, as they have not disclosed a clear cause of death despite conducting thousands of tests.
Meanwhile, the Disease Control Center in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, which borders Russia, issued a warning stating that the likelihood of a plague outbreak is low but advised visitors to areas in Russia where plague infections have been reported to monitor their health closely.
Although there have been no reported cases of human plague infections in Hohhot since 1927, the region has historically been a natural reservoir for the plague, prompting these precautionary measures due to frequent cross-border exchanges.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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