No Plague Detected in Contacts After Death of Siberian Laboratory Worker
Russian authorities announced that close contacts of the laboratory worker who died of undetermined pneumonia tested negative for plague.
Tests conducted on the close contacts of an employee working at an anti-plague laboratory in Siberia who passed away last week revealed no traces of plague. Russian health authorities announced that examinations detected cases of Covid-19 and rhinovirus, with no other infectious agents found.
Death of the Laboratory Worker
The death last week of a female staff member working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute due to an undetermined pneumonia had raised global public health concerns.
Statements from Health Authorities
In a statement by Rospotrebnadzor, it was stated that laboratory tests identified two cases of Covid-19 and two cases of rhinovirus, and no other infectious disease agents were found among the contacts.
International Contacts
While it was noted that the leaders of the US and Russia were scheduled to hold a phone call to discuss the matter, US State Department officials also confirmed that they had been in contact with the Russian government.
World Health Organization's Assessment
The World Health Organization announced that Russian health authorities reported no cases of plague had been recorded in Irkutsk and that contacts did not harbor high-risk pathogens.
Regional Measures and Investigations
It was reported that approximately 200 people were placed under medical observation and some neighboring countries increased quarantine checks at border gates. Regional authorities, however, announced that no additional restriction decisions had been made.