Plague DataUpdated October 16, 2026

Is plague still around?

Yes.

It's rare, but it hasn't gone away. In 2025, four countries reported 113 lab-confirmed cases to the World Health Organization, and 31 deaths. Plague is treatable with antibiotics when it's caught early.

Worldwide figures: World Health Organization, Human plague, 2019 to 2025 (published September 25, 2026). Treatment: WHO fact sheet.

Happening now

Irkutsk, Russia

1 death

Cause undetermined

A laboratory worker died on October 2, 2026. Russia told WHO the death was not caused by plague. WHO says it has not received a diagnosis, so the cause is still unknown.

Not counted in plague totals. Latest official update: October 10, 2026. Has it spread to China? Common questions · Full timeline

United States

2 cases in 2026

Provisional count

One in Arizona, One in New Mexico. The U.S. averages about five human cases a year, mostly in northern New Mexico and Arizona.

CDC weekly tables, through week 40. Weekly numbers can change before CDC finalizes them. U.S. details

Where plague is still reported

From 2019 to 2025, six countries reported 2,646 lab-confirmed human cases to WHO. Four more reported suspected cases, none of them confirmed. Select a highlighted country for details.

Human plague reporting to WHO by country, 2019 to 2025Six countries reported confirmed cases: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Uganda, China, Mongolia. Four reported suspected cases only: Brazil, Ecuador, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. The United States, Russia and many other countries sent no data.Fiji: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Tanzania: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025W. Sahara: not reported separately to WHOCanada: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025United States of America: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Kazakhstan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Uzbekistan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Papua New Guinea: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Indonesia: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Argentina: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Chile: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025DR Congo: 1,893 confirmed cases, 101 deaths, 2019–2025Somalia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Kenya: 22 confirmed cases, 0 deaths, 2019–2025Sudan: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Chad: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Haiti: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Dominican Rep.: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Russia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Bahamas: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Falkland Is.: not reported separately to WHONorway: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Greenland: not reported separately to WHOFr. S. Antarctic Lands: not reported separately to WHOTimor-Leste: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025South Africa: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Lesotho: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Mexico: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Uruguay: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Brazil: suspected cases only, none confirmed, 2019–2025Bolivia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Peru: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Colombia: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Panama: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Costa Rica: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Nicaragua: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Honduras: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025El Salvador: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Guatemala: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Belize: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Venezuela: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Guyana: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Suriname: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025France: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Ecuador: suspected cases only, none confirmed, 2019–2025Puerto Rico: not reported separately to WHOJamaica: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Cuba: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Zimbabwe: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Botswana: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Namibia: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Senegal: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Mali: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Mauritania: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Benin: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Niger: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Nigeria: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Cameroon: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Togo: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Ghana: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Côte d'Ivoire: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Guinea: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Guinea-Bissau: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Liberia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Sierra Leone: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Burkina Faso: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Central African Rep.: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Congo: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Gabon: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Eq. Guinea: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Zambia: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Malawi: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Mozambique: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025eSwatini: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Angola: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Burundi: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Israel: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Lebanon: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Madagascar: 693 confirmed cases, 307 deaths, 2019–2025Palestine: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Gambia: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Tunisia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Algeria: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Jordan: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025United Arab Emirates: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Qatar: suspected cases only, none confirmed, 2019–2025Kuwait: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Iraq: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Oman: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Vanuatu: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Cambodia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Thailand: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Laos: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Myanmar: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Vietnam: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025North Korea: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025South Korea: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Mongolia: 17 confirmed cases, 7 deaths, 2019–2025India: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Bangladesh: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Bhutan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Nepal: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Pakistan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Afghanistan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Tajikistan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Kyrgyzstan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Turkmenistan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Iran: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Syria: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Armenia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Sweden: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Belarus: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Ukraine: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Poland: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Austria: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Hungary: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Moldova: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Romania: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Lithuania: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Latvia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Estonia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Germany: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Bulgaria: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Greece: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Turkey: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Albania: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Croatia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Switzerland: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Luxembourg: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Belgium: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Netherlands: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Portugal: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Spain: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Ireland: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025New Caledonia: not reported separately to WHOSolomon Is.: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025New Zealand: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Australia: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Sri Lanka: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025China: 19 confirmed cases, 7 deaths, 2019–2025Taiwan: not reported separately to WHOItaly: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Denmark: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025United Kingdom: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Iceland: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Azerbaijan: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Georgia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Philippines: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Malaysia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Brunei: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Slovenia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Finland: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Slovakia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Czechia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Eritrea: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Japan: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Paraguay: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Yemen: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Saudi Arabia: suspected cases only, none confirmed, 2019–2025N. Cyprus: not reported separately to WHOCyprus: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Morocco: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Egypt: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Libya: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Ethiopia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Djibouti: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Somaliland: not reported separately to WHOUganda: 2 confirmed cases, 1 death, 2019–2025Rwanda: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025Bosnia and Herz.: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Macedonia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Serbia: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Montenegro: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025Kosovo: not reported separately to WHOTrinidad and Tobago: no plague data sent to WHO for 2019–2025S. Sudan: reported zero cases to WHO, 2019–2025
  • Confirmed cases
  • Suspected only, none confirmed
  • Reported zero cases
  • No data sent to WHO
  • Not applicable

No data is not the same as zero. Source: WHO, Human plague, 2019 to 2025 (Map 3). Boundaries are approximate. Small island nations are too small to show at this scale.

Lab-confirmed cases reported to WHO, by year

Confirmed human plague cases reported to WHO: 2019 163, 2020 521, 2021 245, 2022 776, 2023 300, 2024 528, 2025 1131632019521202024520217762022300202352820241132025

Most years are driven by outbreaks in DR Congo and Madagascar. See every country, year by year

Is it the same disease everywhere?

Yes. All plague is caused by one bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It can take three forms in the body (bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic), and scientists can trace its family branches from one region to another.

How plague varies around the world

How we count

Official sources only

Numbers come from the WHO, the CDC and national health ministries. News reports never change a count.

Every number is dated

Each figure links to the document it came from, with the date it was published.

No data is not zero

Some countries, including the U.S. and Russia, sent WHO no plague data for 2019–2025. We say so instead of showing zero.

Read the full method