Plague in 2026
What's officially known about human plague this year, as of October 16, 2026.
United States: 2 cases so far
Arizona: 1. New Mexico: 1. These are provisional CDC counts through week 40. U.S. details
Russia: one unexplained death
A lab worker in Irkutsk died on October 2. Russia told WHO it was not plague; WHO says the cause is undetermined. It is not counted as a plague case. Timeline
Worldwide: not published yet
WHO publishes worldwide plague totals once a year. Its 2026 numbers aren't out yet. The most recent year, 2025, had 113 lab-confirmed cases and 31 deaths in four countries. Cases by country