World Health Organization Statement on Suspected Plague in Russia
Following the suspicious death of a laboratory worker in Russia, the WHO announced that no plague cases have been detected in the region and contacts are being tested.
The World Health Organization issued a statement following the suspicious death of a laboratory worker in Russia's Irkutsk region, reporting that no plague cases have been recorded in the area and no high-risk pathogen has been found.
Development of the Incident
A 28-year-old female laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Russia's Siberia region died of a suspicious infection on Friday, October 2, raising outbreak concerns.
WHO Statements
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that Russian health authorities are testing contacts and keeping them under medical observation, and that no high-risk pathogen has been detected.
Request for Additional Information
Authorities stated that additional information has been requested from Russia to clarify the exact cause of the severe pneumonia and the reason for a second worker falling ill.
Statement by Rospotrebnadzor
The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing shared with the public that no infectious disease cases have been reported among individuals who came into contact with the deceased worker over the past 10 days.