Plague Risk Protocol Implemented in Inner Mongolia
A regional disease control center in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China, has announced new “plague risk prevention” measures following reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in Siberia, Russia, as reported by Chinese state media on Monday.
The Chinese government newspaper Global Times highlighted the geographical proximity of Hulunbuir to Russia, noting the area’s proactive stance to prevent any potential plague outbreak stemming from Siberia. Though pneumonic plague is known to occur in Siberia, Hulunbuir has not recorded a human plague case since 1927 and aims to keep that record intact.
This announcement came as somewhat of a surprise, especially since Russian officials declared last week that they had completed tracing contacts related to the suspected plague case with no new infections reported, effectively ending the scare. However, Chinese media did not specify why authorities in Inner Mongolia opted to impose health restrictions shortly after Russia concluded its contact tracing.
Reports from Irkutsk, Siberia, detailed the death of Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old woman, in early October. Although Russian authorities confirmed she died from pneumonia of an unexplained origin, they haven’t released further details surrounding her death. This incident raised international alarm, as Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Local accounts suggested she had accidentally broken a vial containing a live pathogen prior to her death, but Russian officials dismissed those claims, labeling much of the circulating information as false.
The Hulunbuir CDC’s announcement did not dispute the Russian government’s statements but cited the Shipilova case as the catalyst for their precautionary measures.
In a safety alert shared via the state-controlled WeChat app, officials noted, “Reports of the death of a staff member at Russia’s Irkutsk Plague Control and Research Institute from unexplained pneumonia have drawn widespread international attention… Given the nature of the institution and the area’s background with plague, this has sparked discussions over possible public health risks.”
Furthermore, the Global Times reported that local health officials rolled out specific, science-based guidelines for plague prevention in Hulunbuir, which included disinfection efforts in public spaces and adherence to health regulations in areas impacted by the situation. Interestingly, the state newspaper didn’t indicate a reimplementation of the extensive “epidemic prevention rules” from the previous COVID-19 lockdowns, which had led to mass confinement and various consequences for many individuals across major Chinese cities.
Authorities in China have alerted citizens to exercise caution during travel due to the recent events, but they’ve also assured the public that the likelihood of a local plague outbreak remains low. They reminded people that most pneumonic plague cases can typically be treated effectively with antibiotics.
Other regions responded similarly to the developments in Russia. Public health officials in Hunan province, about 900 miles south of Inner Mongolia, released an alert urging citizens not to panic and to avoid rumors. Their guidelines included precautions for travelers to areas known for natural plague occurrences, advising against contact with potentially infected animals and recommending prompt medical attention if symptoms like fever, swollen lymph nodes, or severe coughing arose.
In Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported that local authorities would enhance health surveillance, although specifics on these measures were not disclosed. They did emphasize that there’s been no recent record of plague or pneumonia cases linked to Russia.
Meanwhile, the Russian government has attempted to downplay international concerns about the Shipilova case while providing little clarity on her death. The media watchdog Roskomnadzor has even warned against spreading “fake news.” However, no fresh information is available, and all inquiries have been directed to the public health agency Rospotrebnadzor, which has declared the situation resolved. Irkutsk’s Governor Igor Kobzev announced that contact tracing for Shipilova’s associates concluded without identifying any further spread of the plague.
Regarding public health, Rospotrebnadzor assured there are “no epidemic risks to the population” in the Irkutsk region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) quickly sought answers from Russia regarding the situation. Outgoing Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that while Russian authorities have denied any outbreak, the lack of substantial information from Moscow made it challenging to assess the actual risk involved.
“As we don’t yet have the full picture of this event, we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment,” Tedros stated, stressing the importance of timely and transparent information sharing under International Health Regulations to clarify any conflicting reports and to assess potential public health risks accurately.
