Possible plague outbreak in Russia: WHO unable to determine cause of death of lab worker

The World Health Organization (WHO) has still not been able to determine the cause of the pneumonia that killed an employee of a plague research center in the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation.

Reuters reports this, citing a statement from WHO.

The organization reported that no cases of plague had been registered, and no evidence of further spread of the infection had been found.

According to WHO, the Russian state regulator reported that the tests of the employee and people who came into contact with her for pathogens of particularly dangerous infections were negative. They have not yet shown symptoms, and no new cases of severe pneumonia related to this event have been recorded.

"Based on the information provided, WHO has found no evidence of further transmission associated with this case. The main uncertainty remains the lack of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker," the organization said in a statement.

What preceded

The Russian media reported on a possible outbreak of plague in early October. The first victim was 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, who worked at the Irkutsk Research Institute. She died on October 2. After that, almost 200 contact people were placed under medical supervision.

According to one version, Shipilova could have become infected during a work trip to Buryatia, where a plague outbreak was recorded on the border with Mongolia. According to another, she broke a test tube with the plague pathogen.

Russian authorities have not confirmed the plague, stating that the womanʼs cause of death was "pneumonia of unknown etiology". The Russian Ministry of Health noted that the epidemiological situation in the region remains stable. However, Russian media reports that the region has introduced a mask-wearing regime and hospitals have been closed for quarantine.

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