Plague killed tens of millions of people in past pandemics, but today it’s rare in humans and usually treatable with antibiotics. A Russian lab worker’s unexplained death has put the disease back in focus. Here’s what to know:
Plague killed tens of millions of people in past pandemics, but today it’s rare in humans and usually treatable with antibiotics. A Russian lab worker’s unexplained death has put the disease back in focus.
Here's what to know about pneumonic plague and the risks it poses:
📷: Getty Images
The Plague Fighters in Northeast China, 1911
Led by Dr. Wu Lien-teh (伍连德), the campaign against the Manchurian plague imposed strict quarantines, travel restrictions and body cremation.
It also promoted the widespread use of protective face masks—measures that helped bring the epidemic under control within months.
The outbreak killed an estimated 60,000 people.