Taiwan is actively monitoring online reports suggesting that pneumonic plague may have spread from Russia into parts of China. Premier Cho Jung-tai announced on Tuesday, as reported by Taiwan’s Central News Agency, that the government is “highly, highly concerned” by the situation and is prepared to strengthen existing border quarantine measures if necessary.
The government's response follows inquiries from lawmaker Wang Ting-yu regarding the island's preparedness to prevent the disease from reaching Taiwan, given the high frequency of travel and exchanges between the island and mainland China. Health authorities have already implemented border screening protocols and continue to track information from China for any signs of the disease.
The concern stems from the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Russia on October 2. Health Minister Shih Chung-liang confirmed that Taiwanese officials have contacted the World Health Organization (WHO) to verify whether the fatality was indeed caused by pneumonic plague. However, Minister Shih emphasized that it is too early to confirm the cause of death, noting that “so far, no tests of pathogens or other samples have returned positive results, so it cannot be concluded at this point that plague was definitely the culprit.”
Separately, China’s state-run Global Times reported on Monday that authorities in Hulunbuir, a city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region near the Russian border, issued a plague prevention notice following reports of a suspected fatal case. While the WHO confirmed last week that it is seeking further information from Russia regarding the laboratory worker's death and reports of a second employee’s illness, Russia has since denied that a second case occurred in the Irkutsk region. Despite the lack of confirmed results, the reported incidents have prompted increased international attention regarding potential cross-border health risks.
