Chief Sanitary Inspector Warns of Russian Plague Threat

April 28, 2004

Russia's chief sanitary inspector, Gennadiy Onischenko, has called upon his
colleagues to be prepared for an outbreak of plague, the Rosbalt news
agency reported, citing the press service of the State Sanitary and
Epidemiology Monitoring Service.

In order to provide epidemiological security and to prevent the spread of
the dangerous disease among the population, the chief sanitary inspector
told the directors of anti-plague institutions located in the Russian
regions bordering Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China, to prepare for possible
cases of plague, especially at border checkpoints. He also called for a
joint effort of the State Sanitary and Epidemiology Monitoring Service and
departments of the Health Ministry to carry out preventive measures within
the country.

The last case of plague was registered in Russia in 1979.

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/04/23/plague.shtml