Russia denies anti-plague measures after pneumonia death
The death of an employee at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk is still being looked into, the authorities said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Russia to be transparent about its findings.
Russia has denied allegations of implementing anti-plague measures after a laboratory technician in Siberia died from pneumonic plague. The woman, who worked at the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, had not been confirmed to have died from the disease. Health authorities in Russia, including Rospotrebnadzor, denied the existence of special measures and stated that the death was due to pneumonia.
No microorganisms associated with the woman's work were found in her biological samples. Plague can manifest in several forms, including pneumonic plague, which is highly contagious and potentially fatal if not treated promptly. Reports suggested the woman might have contracted the disease from a broken test tube or lab accident.
The woman may have been in contact with up to 200 individuals, who are now under quarantine. The WHO noted no recorded cases of the disease in Irkutsk and assessed the risk to be moderate to low. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to provide more information.
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