Russia Denies Second Plague Case: WHO Seeks Answers Over Siberian Lab Death

Concerns over a possible plague outbreak in Russia have intensified after reports emerged of a second suspected case in Siberia. However, Russian authorities have rejected the reports, urging the public and media to rely on official information from the country's health regulator.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the “vast majority” of media reporting about the situation was false information. Russia's health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, has maintained that there is currently no evidence of an epidemic.

The concerns began after Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, died after developing severe pneumonia. Russian authorities have said the illness was pneumonia of unknown origin and have not established that she had plague.

The case attracted international attention because Shipilova worked at a facility involved in research into dangerous pathogens. Authorities initially placed around 200 people under quarantine as a precaution.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Russia to provide additional information about the laboratory tests conducted on Shipilova and the health status of people who came into contact with her.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also asked Moscow to clarify media reports concerning a possible second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.

The WHO said it cannot complete a full risk assessment without sufficient information. The organisation has stressed that timely and transparent information sharing is important when dealing with a potentially serious infectious disease event.

Rospotrebnadzor said nearly 5,000 tests conducted among contacts did not identify dangerous pathogens. It also reported that no plague infections had been detected among people who had contact with the deceased worker.

More than 90% of those initially placed under quarantine had reportedly been released as precautionary measures were reduced. Russian authorities have therefore said there is no current risk of an epidemic.

Pneumonic plague is the most serious form of plague because it affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets. However, the current Russian case has not been confirmed as pneumonic plague.

The WHO and international health authorities are seeking further evidence before drawing conclusions about the cause of Shipilova's death or the possibility of additional cases. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has assessed the risk to the United States as extremely low while continuing to monitor the situation.

The immediate focus remains on obtaining laboratory information and clarifying the conflicting reports surrounding the alleged second case. Until further evidence emerges, there is no confirmed second plague death in Siberia.

The situation highlights the importance of reliable disease surveillance and transparent communication as Russia, the WHO and other international authorities continue to assess the unexplained pneumonia case.