Russia investigates lab worker’s death after reports of possible plague

Russian authorities are investigating the death of a 28-year-old woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia. Russia’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said she died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Russian officials have denied that a plague case was recorded in Irkutsk, and WHO said the cause of death has not been confirmed.

Media reports said around 200 people who may have had contact with the woman were under medical observation, and a hospital where she died was quarantined. MedPage Today reported that Russian officials said monitoring of all contacts had concluded and that the epidemiological situation was stable. ABC News reported that testing found no evidence her illness was caused by pathogens she worked with.

WHO said its initial risk assessment put the risk at moderate-to-low for Irkutsk, low for Russia as a whole, and very low for the WHO European region. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information. WHO said it was in contact with Russian authorities and had brought in technical experts to support its assessment.