Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero said Puerto Rico has activated its protocol, as has federal health authorities, to guard against any situation tied to the alleged pneumonic plague outbreak in Russia. Speaking at the En Récord conference, he said the US government has asked Russia for information about what happened, including exactly which organism infected a researcher whose death followed, and how widespread it may be or whether it was contained at the site.
He said that information, which would be exchanged between the two governments, is not yet in hand. Ramos Otero explained that laboratories handle highly dangerous viruses and bacteria, that such labs are highly restricted in the United States and elsewhere, and that work protocols are very strict, though such situations can still occur. He said the CDC and the agencies in charge of entry into the United States are monitoring airports and ports, and that if there were any suspicion, he assumes the plane or ship would be stopped.
That includes Puerto Rico’s airports and ports, where the Health Department’s biosecurity program is part of the surveillance. Separately, the United States is recording a historic measles resurgence, with 3,887 confirmed cases in 38 states and the District of Columbia.