Dominican Republic strengthens health surveillance amid plague concerns in Russia
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is reinforcing epidemiological surveillance at airports, ports and land border crossings in response to a health event under investigation in Russia, the Ministry of Public Health reported.
Authorities are strengthening the identification and monitoring of travelers arriving from areas considered potentially at risk to facilitate the early detection, evaluation and notification of suspected cases in accordance with established protocols.
The ministry emphasized that, as of October 7, there has been no public confirmation that the death of a research institute worker in Russia was caused by pneumonic plague. The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring the situation and has requested additional information from Russian authorities.
Pneumonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and affects the lungs. It can spread through respiratory droplets during close contact with an infected person, but is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when treatment begins promptly.
The Dominican Republic is not considered an area where plague is endemic or common. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), natural plague foci in the Americas have been identified in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, the United States and Peru, although this does not indicate that these countries are experiencing active outbreaks.
Public Health authorities stressed that the strengthened surveillance measures are preventive and routine and do not indicate transmission of pneumonic plague in the Dominican Republic or the detection of a case in the country.
The ministry said it will continue monitoring the situation in coordination with national and international epidemiological surveillance systems and will assess any new information that could change the level of risk for the Dominican Republic. It also urged the public to remain calm, emphasizing that the current situation does not represent a cause for alarm.
