Second Russian lab worker possibly sick from plague
What's the story
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Russia for more information about the death of 28-year-old employee, Darya Shipilova, at a plague research lab in Siberia last week and about media reports that a second employee has pneumonia with no known cause. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency has sought clarification from Russian health authorities on the cause of the technician's illness and subsequent public health measures taken. "Timely, complete and transparent information sharing...is essential," he said.
Official response
Russian authorities deny recent cases of plague
Shipilova, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, died on October 2 from "pneumonia of unknown aetiology."
Early media reports suggested she caught the pneumonic plague after an accident at the lab, but those reports have not been confirmed by Russia.
Russian authorities further denied any recent cases of plague in the Irkutsk region, where the lab is located, Ghebreyesus said.
They said that contacts of the deceased technician were monitored and tested, with no dangerous bacteria found.
News
No 2nd death has occurred
Russia has also dismissed unconfirmed Russian reports that claimed a second death occurred in the region.
It dismissed the reports as fake news and urged people to rely on their health watchdog for credible information.
Asked about reports of the suspected second case, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "the vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information."
"People should rely solely on official statements from Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor," he insisted.
Diplomatic pressure
US demands more information from Russia
The United States has also demanded more information from Russia through a formal diplomatic complaint.
A State Department spokesperson said, "We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government."
Under the WHO's International Health Regulations, countries are legally obliged to share timely and complete public health information about dangerous infectious threats like plague to assess and prevent international spread.
The WHO has offered technical support to Russia and is in touch with its health officials regarding this matter.