Context

  • Russia reported a suspected plague death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker at an anti-plague research institute in the Irkutsk region of Siberia.
  • Russian authorities stated that the plague situation is under control.
  • The incident has renewed attention on plague, a centuries-old zoonotic disease that remains endemic in some parts of the world.

About Plague

  • Causative agent: Bacterium Yersinia pestis.
  • Nature: Zoonotic infectious disease; generally found in small mammals and their fleas.
  • Transmission to humans:
  • Bite of infected fleas.
  • Contact with infected tissues or materials.
  • Inhalation of respiratory particles from a patient with pneumonic plague.
  • Clinical forms:
  • Bubonic plague: Most common form; characterised by swollen and painful lymph nodes (buboes).
  • Pneumonic plague: Most virulent form; can spread from person to person through respiratory particles.
  • Septicaemic plague: Infection spreads in the blood and can be fatal.
  • Treatment: Plague can be effectively treated with antibiotics, especially when diagnosed and treated early.

Global Presence

  • Human plague remains endemic in several countries.
  • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), during 2019–2025, most reported human plague cases occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.
  • Plague is also historically linked to the Black Death pandemic of the 14th century.

India and Governance Context

  • Plague is a notifiable disease in India under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and is monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
  • Public health response includes surveillance, laboratory confirmation, isolation of pneumonic cases, contact tracing, vector control, and antibiotic treatment.
  • At the international level, plague events of public health concern are covered under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.

Significance for UPSC

  • Prelims: Causative agent, transmission routes, clinical forms, treatment, WHO data, and the difference between bubonic and pneumonic plague.
  • Mains: Health security, zoonotic disease surveillance, One Health approach, epidemic preparedness, and India’s public health legal framework.

Way Forward

  • Strengthen integrated surveillance for zoonotic diseases.
  • Promote the One Health approach linking human, animal, and environmental health.
  • Enhance laboratory capacity and biosafety in high-risk settings.
  • Ensure timely risk communication to prevent panic and misinformation.