Russia Confirms No Plague Cases Among Contacts of Deceased Lab Worker
Russia confirms no plague found in contacts of Siberian lab worker who died. Officials report 60% tested so far.
POLICY WIRE — Irkutsk, Russia — Russian health authorities have confirmed that no cases of plague have been identified among the close contacts of a female laboratory worker who died last week at an anti-plague institute in Siberia. As of Tuesday, 60% of the individuals linked to the deceased have been tested, with results showing no signs of the disease.
The death of the 28-year-old woman, whose identity has not been officially released by Russian officials, has sparked global concern. The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, which has been combating plague and other dangerous diseases since 1934, reported that she succumbed to an undetermined form of pneumonia. Initial tests revealed two cases of COVID-19 and two of rhinovirus, but no evidence of plague was found.
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Russian health regulators, Rospotrebnadzor, stated that no high-threat pathogens were detected in the woman’s body or among her contacts. However, U.S. officials have called for more transparency, citing reports of a suspected pneumonic plague case in Irkutsk. The World Health Organization confirmed that Russian authorities have not recorded any plague cases in the region and are awaiting further details on the cause of the woman’s death. Meanwhile, local authorities have denied claims of strict quarantine measures, stating the situation remains stable.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
