What to know about pneumonic plague after woman in Russia dies from mysterious illness

The death of a 28-year-old woman who worked in an anti-plague laboratory in Russia is raising significant concerns regarding the cause of her illness. While the situation involves a mysterious illness, references to pneumonic plague and histopathologic changes in human lung tissue provided by the CDC highlight the severity of such infections. Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the fatality to determine if the cause was related to the specific pathogens handled at the facility.