US CDC says it’s ‘aware of and closely monitoring’ Russian plague case

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said it’s “aware of and closely monitoring” a suspected pneumonic plague outbreak in Russia. The top US public health agency released a statement on social media Tuesday, attempting to ease rising global concerns after the unexplained death of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old woman who worked at an anti-plague laboratory in Siberia. “While the circumstances of this reported case remain unconfirmed, plague is a serious bacterial disease that is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when recognized and treated early”, the CDC said.