Russia Says Plague Institute Worker’s Death Poses No Epidemic Risk

Russia’s health regulator said Wednesday that there was no risk of an epidemic in Siberia following the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker at a plague research institute. The worker died from pneumonia of an undetermined cause, while around 200 people were initially placed under quarantine.

The World Health Organization said it needed more information from Russian authorities to determine what caused the death. Nearly 5,000 laboratory tests reportedly found no dangerous pathogens among those tested, and about 90% of people placed in quarantine had been released.

The Kremlin said Russia had followed established procedures in informing the WHO and criticized what it described as false media reports surrounding the case. The exact cause of the worker’s death remains unknown, while the WHO has also asked Russia to clarify reports of a possible second person with pneumonia of undetermined origin.

Pic courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright