The Siberia plague case concerns have eased after the World Health Organization said Russian authorities have reported no confirmed case of plague in Irkutsk oblast, where a woman working at a laboratory studying the disease died of pneumonia last week.
The WHO sought clarification from Russian authorities following reports suggesting the possibility of pneumonic plague linked to an alleged accidental laboratory exposure. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Russian health authorities had reported that no recent plague case had been registered in the region.
WHO says risk remains limited
The woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, which studies dangerous pathogens. WHO also noted reports concerning a second employee at the institute who developed pneumonia of undetermined cause.
Russian authorities said preventive measures had been implemented, including contact tracing, medical monitoring and laboratory testing. According to information shared through an international health alert system, tests found no dangerous infectious disease pathogens among the contacts.
Authorities said monitoring of all identified contacts had been completed and that the epidemiological situation remained stable, although it continues to be monitored.
The woman died at a hospital in Shelekhov near Irkutsk. Local authorities had placed the hospital under quarantine, while officials from Russia's public health watchdog travelled to the region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also urged the public to rely on official information rather than rumours or speculation.
WHO explains the plague risk
WHO said plague occurs naturally among wild animals in the Irkutsk region. Pneumonic plague is considered the most severe form because it affects the lungs and can spread through respiratory particles.
However, WHO's initial assessment placed the risk at moderate-to-low for Irkutsk, low for Russia overall and very low for the wider WHO European region.
The situation has also attracted international attention, with US officials calling for greater transparency and information-sharing from Moscow.
For now, WHO and Russian authorities have said no plague case has been confirmed in the region. Monitoring and information-sharing remain ongoing as officials continue assessing the situation.
Relevant official source: World Health Organization
Conversation
Be kind and stay on topic. Comments are moderated; abuse, spam and personal attacks are removed. Report a problem