A Russian lab worker is dead, hundreds of people are in quarantine.

A Russian lab worker is dead, hundreds of people are in quarantine. So, is the plague that caused the Black Death about to spread once again? The plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis and comes in several forms. Bubonic plague is spread by the bites of infected fleas, causing painful swellings under the skin. The Black Death in the 14th century killed between a third and half of Europe's population. But the bacteria can also cause the even more deadly pneumonic plague. It can spread from person to person and is inhaled as infectious droplets. It is highly contagious, causing a severe lung infection and is nearly always fatal, leading to death in as little as 18 hours unless it's treated fast. The Black Death was just one of several pandemics caused by plague bacteria in the past. But these days, there are fewer cases, between a thousand and 2,000 a year, normally as bubonic plague. Most cases are in parts of Africa and Asia, but even in the United States, there are a handful of people infected each year. Antibiotics are highly effective against both forms of the disease if they're given in time, and global deaths are now generally below 200 a year. But with any outbreak of such an infectious and dangerous pathogen, containment is a priority, and we will know within days whether efforts in Russia to shut down the spread have worked. This isn't another COVID coming out of nowhere to sweep the globe. This is a known bacteria with treatment that works.