After the death of 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, an employee at the Irkutsk Research Institute for Combating Plague in Siberia and the Far East, from "pneumonia of unknown origin", local authorities announced on October 8 that anti-epidemic measures had ended. Russian authorities describe the sanitary situation in the Irkutsk region as calm, while Russian media describe the international reaction to the incident as "exaggerated".
DW spoke with Professor Colin Mackenzie, a specialist in microbiology, virology and epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf, about the case of the potential spread of pneumonic plague in Russia.
DW: Whatdoesthediagnosis "pneumoniaofundeterminedorigin" Andunderwhatcircumstancesdoesitoccur?
Prof. Mackenzie: Basically, it's pneumonia. It happens in some cases that we don't find the causative agents. That's why I think that the announcement that a person died of pneumonia is not in itself a cause for concern. Pneumonia is associated with a certain mortality rate, even among people who were previously healthy.
DV: Daria ShipilovawasinthelaboratoryforthelasttimeonSeptember25. She was admitted to the hospital on September 29 with symptoms of a lung infection and died on October 2. Does this clinical picture resemble the course of pneumonic plague – for example, in terms of the incubation period?
This description could indeed correspond to the plague: a relatively short incubation period after infection – only a few days. Depending on the amount of pathogen inhaled, it can be as little as one day. In other words, these time frames do not allow us to rule out plague as a diagnosis.
DV: Whattestsshouldbeperformedinsuspectedofplagueinfection? Is the analysis of the biological material from the patient sufficient? Or are more extensive studies needed? Authorities say they have not found any "work-related" microorganisms. Samples can be taken from the patient's respiratory tract or blood. Both types of analysis can generally detect the presence of the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague, as well as other pathogens. Ultimately, it is likely that she had influenza or pneumococcal pneumonia. Respiratory samples could also reveal the presence of the pathogens responsible for these diseases.
DV: Russian authorities deny thenecessityofimposingstrictepidemiologicalrestrictionsintheregion. At the same time, media reports indicate that around 200 people They have been placed under quarantine. If this is so, does it mean that there is a real risk of the spread of the plague? If it is true that 200 people were actually quarantined, then in my opinion this shows that the Russian authorities acted with extreme caution. It is possible that they considered that, given the woman's workplace, the illness could indeed be related to the plague.
ДВ: Според последните данни, при прегледите на лицата, които са били в контакт с починалата, не са установени здравословни проблеми, свързани с инфекциозно заболяване. Като се има предвид, че жената е починала на 2 октомври, може ли да се каже, че опасността е отминала след толкова време без нови случаи на заразяване?
Ако хората са били под карантина и след определен период не е установено нищо, мисля, че вероятно and точно така. Или поне вероятността да настъпила инфекция е много малка.
ДВ: Колко време трябва да измине без нови случаи на заразяване, за да се обяви, че опасността е отминала?
Не мога да кажа това със стопроцентова сигурност. Въпреки това белодробната чума има сравнително кратък инкубационен период, така че смятам, че около седмица би била достатъчна.
ДВ: По принцип, доколко е вероятно да се случи подобен опасен инцидент (счупване на епруветка с патоген) в съвременна лаборатория?
Инциденти винаги могат да се случат. Именно затова съществуват строги хигиенни протоколи и планове за действие при извънредни ситуации. Предпазните мерки са разработени така, че при евентуален инцидент засегнатата зона да може да бъде изолирана и ограничена във възможно най-малко пространство. Смятам за напълно възможно там (в Iркутския научноизследователски институт за ред.) да се е счупил стъклен съд с реагенти.
Източник: www.dw.com