US Monitors Russian Arrivals at JFK Amid Plague Death Fears

The United States is enhancing its surveillance at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to monitor passengers arriving from Russia, following reports that a researcher died from pneumonic plague in Siberia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the measure, which aims to protect the country from potential threats.

CDC Director Erica Schwartz stated at a Wall Street Journal event that the agency is collaborating with other government departments, including Homeland Security and the State Department, to track individuals arriving from the affected region. A port health station has been established at JFK to conduct appropriate surveillance and screening.

Panic reportedly emerged in Russia after Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, died on October 2. Local media suggested she contracted pneumonic plague following an accident in the lab, though Russian authorities have officially stated she died from pneumonia of an unknown cause. Shipilova's mother disputed the accident theory, calling it impossible within the institute's safety protocols.

Initial reports indicated a second death from the disease, which Russian authorities also denied. Approximately 200 people and five hospitals were reportedly placed under quarantine following Shipilova's death, but these measures were later lifted. Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's state health watchdog, concluded its monitoring of Shipilova's contacts and reported that tests on nearly 5,000 samples did not reveal any dangerous pathogens.

US officials estimate that around 2,000 individuals from Siberia arrive in the U.S. annually, with a significant number passing through JFK. While direct flights between Russia and the U.S. have been suspended since 2022, thousands of Russians still enter the U.S. each year, often via connecting flights through major hubs like JFK, Chicago O'Hare, and Dulles International Airport.

Details of the monitoring process at JFK have not been fully disclosed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, similar airport health screenings included temperature checks and questionnaires regarding recent travel to outbreak areas. Schwartz assured that the threat to the United States is considered extremely low.

Pneumonic plague is a serious bacterial infection that can spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. However, the CDC notes that person-to-person transmission is rare and typically requires prolonged, face-to-face contact.

Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield raised concerns, suggesting that if Shipilova were a lab worker who had an accident, she would likely have received immediate antibiotic treatment, which is effective against plague. He speculated that the scale of the response might indicate a more serious or potentially manipulated form of the disease. Conversely, U.S. President Donald Trump, following a call with Vladimir Putin, expressed confidence that the case was not related to a bioweapon, citing assurances from Russian officials that the situation was under control.