This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Reports that a woman employed at a plague research institute in Russia's Irkutsk region died from the disease have spiked online interest in possible treatments for the illness in North America.

Russia has not confirmed the woman died of plague, and the governor of the region said Thursday that no health issues were detected after all her contacts were traced.

But on social media, influencers and doomsday "preppers" are pushing the need to purchase a $300 kit claimed to help people avoid emergency room visits.

"Don't wait until everybody is scrambling. Prepare before you need it," says the caption of a Facebook video viewed more than 161,000 times under the hashtags #Russia and #plague.

The posts include personalized discount codes, suggesting the creators may receive financial compensation if a purchase is made.

The Wellness Company brand promoted in many of the videos saw a subsequent spike in online searches, according to Google Trends data.

The company is fronted by Peter McCullough, an American cardiologist who has promoted COVID-19 conspiracies and health misinformation debunked by AFP. It did not immediately respond to questions about the kits.

Rogan O'Handley, known on social media as DC Draino, highlighted the kit's inclusion of the antibiotic doxycycline to his 2.9 million followers.

The antibiotic is among those used to treat plague in countries that see cases each year, helping to contain outbreaks.

Source link