The World Health Organization is seeking more information from Russia after a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died of severe pneumonia on October 2. The death raised concerns about a possible case of pneumonic plague linked to a laboratory exposure.
Russian authorities have rejected those reports and said the cause of the illness remains undetermined.
Early media and social media reports claimed that the woman’s death may have been linked to pneumonic plague following an accidental laboratory exposure.
Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, and regional officials said the cause of death was ” pneumonia of unknown/undetermined etiology. They said tests did not detect microorganisms linked to the woman’s professional duties. Officials also said there had been no laboratory accident involving pathogenic microorganisms and no additional cases among institute staff.
In a statement, he said, “In response to WHO’s verification request under the International Health Regulations, the Russian health authorities reported that no case of plague had recently been registered in Irkutsk oblast. They reported that no high-threat pathogens had been detected among the contacts and that medical observation of all identified contacts had been completed.” They informed WHO that an epidemiological investigation had been conducted, preventive and control measures implemented, and identified contacts placed under medical observation and tested.
