India, Oct. 8 -- The plague, the rare bacterial infection infamous for killing tens of millions of people in 14th-century Europe, has recently drawn attention and sparked concerns in Russia after a worker at a plague research institute in Siberia died of pneumonia.

While the concerns around plague stem from a perception that the deadly disease went away totally. It never did. However, today, it can be treated effectively with antibiotics.

Between 2019 and 2025, most human cases have been reported in Africa, particularly in Congo and Madagascar, according to the World Health Organisation.

Plague is very rare, with 1,000 to 2,000 people diagnosed with plague every year worldwide, according to a clevelandclinic.org report.

In the US, the...