WHO questions Russia on reported second plague lab death

MOSCOW, October 7 — Kremlin officials have dismissed claims of a second suspected plague case in Siberia, asserting that most media reporting on the matter is "false". The United States, European Union, and World Health Organisation have urged Russia to be transparent about the reported death of a laboratory technician at a plague research institute in Irkutsk region, Siberia.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus specifically requested Moscow to clarify media reports of another employee falling ill with pneumonia of an unknown cause.

When asked about these reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "the media reports a great deal" and emphasized that "the vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information". He urged people to rely solely on official statements from Russia's health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor. Peskov also claimed he had "no information" regarding a formal request from Washington for clarifications on the situation.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the United States reportedly made a request for clarification via a confidential diplomatic communication known as a demarche. Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported on Friday that the deceased, identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, may have contracted pneumonic plague through a broken test tube.

Other media outlets suggested a possible connection between her death and a lab accident at the facility. They also reported that up to 200 people who may have come into contact with Shipilova were placed under quarantine.

However, Russian authorities maintain that the cause of death is still unconfirmed, and Rospotrebnadzor has refuted claims circulating online that special measures have been implemented in response to the incident.