<p>[Spread</a> unlikely after possible plague-linked death - Boston.com](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/09/21/spread_unlikely_after_possible_plague_linked_death/]Spread”>http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/09/21/spread_unlikely_after_possible_plague_linked_death/)</p>
<p>I know that several people each year die of the plague, but still, doesn’t it seem really weird? In the twenty-first century? The plague???</p>
<p>There was a discussion here about university research labs not always being the best on safety issues. They guy may have made a fatal mistake.</p>
<p>Sad… It reminded me of the Dartmouth chemistry professor who died of accidental dimethylmercury poisoning.</p>
<p>[CDPH:</a> Plague death not a threat to public health - Chicago Breaking News](<a href=“Chicago Breaking News - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Tribune”>Chicago Breaking News - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Tribune)</p>
<p>THis link has more medical info. Sounds like he died of pneumonic plaques, but not all tests are in. There is a remote chance he had antibodies the the bacterium due to his work and exposure, but that he dies of something else. </p>
<p>This is scary. The strain of Yersinia he was working with was the same one used to come up with the vaccine, and was not thought to be virulent. It may have undergone genetic change over time.</p>