Russia plague: What we know about the suspected case reportedly linked to a lab worker’s death

A lab technician at an anti-plague institute in Russia has died from an illness that's been identified [music] as the plague. That's according to reports. Here's what we know so far. [music] The technician worked at a research institute in Kutsk in eastern Siberia and died after developing severe pneumonia. Local reports say as many as 189 people have been placed on a medical observation due [music] to potential exposure. But the cause of death has not been officially confirmed. The World Health Organization told CNBC that testing [music] is understood to be underway and that so far none of the patients contacts have shown [music] any symptoms. But what exactly is the plague and isn't it a medieval disease? Well, yes and no. Plague is a potentially deadly bacterial infection caused byia [music] pestis which still circulates naturally among rodents and their fleas in parts of the world today. It comes in several forms. There's bubonic plague which is the form associated with the black death in the 14th century [music] that typically spreads through infected fleas and it generally doesn't spread person to person. [music] Pneummonic plague on the other hand infects the lungs and that can spread between people through respiratory [music] particles. One expert told me that pneumonic plague can be fairly transmissible but is not as transmissible [music] as CO 19. The good news is that today plague can usually be treated with antibiotics if caught quickly. And for now, the WHO says that based on the unofficial information available, the risk to the general public appears to be low. But with key details still unconfirmed, health [music] authorities, including the CDC, told me that they are monitoring the situation [music] closely.