Thailand’s Disease Control Department is closely monitoring the pneumonic plague situation in Russia and is waiting for more information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Montien Kanasawat, director-general of the department offered an assurance that the risk of the rare but deadly disease spreading to Thailand is low.
According to CNN, a 28-year-old researcher, working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, died of an infection of unknown origin late last month. At least 197 people have been quarantined for observation, but they have not yet developed any symptoms.
Dr. Montien said that there is no laboratorial evidence to indicate that the female researcher died of yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague, commonly known as ‘The Black Death’, and there is no evidence of the spread of the disease.
He also said, however, that the department has assigned the Division of Epidemiology to coordinate the international Health Regulations (IHR). National Focal Point (NFP) and to follow up on more information from the WHO.
He added that the IHR-NFP had assessed that there is a low risk of the disease spreading to Thailand because the disease is contained in a specific area in Russia, adding that the WHO has not issued any health warning or upgraded to safeguard measures.
Pneumonic plague is a rare and deadly lung infection caused by bacterium yersinia pestis. It can be transmitted through coughing or sneezing by an infected person.
Meanwhile, Dr. Direk Khampaen, the deputy director of the Disease Control Department, said that, at this stage, there is no need to introduce travel restrictions by air or impose special screening processes for arrivals at airports because the existing screening process is sufficient to cope with the situation.
