Russian plague scare: 200 in quarantine, 5,000 tests, no confirmed cases, no risk of epidemic; — latest update | Today’s news
Russia’s health regulator said there was no risk of an epidemic in Siberia after a 28-year-old worker at a plague research institute died of pneumonia of unknown origin, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to seek further information from Moscow.
The death of Darya Shipilova, a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute, sparked international concern after reports suggested she may have contracted pneumonic plague following an alleged laboratory incident. Russian authorities dismissed the reports, saying no plague had been detected.
Here are the latest updates after the initial outbreak in Siberia: Russia rules out epidemic risk as WHO continues to seek more information on unexplained death of lab worker.
Russia lifts precautionary measures
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The official cause of death of Darja Šipilová remains pneumonia of unknown origin, with no confirmed connection to the plague despite initial fears.
Around 200 people were quarantined as a precaution after Darja Šipilová’s unexplained death sparked fears of possible transmission of an infectious disease.
Russian authorities have rejected claims of a plague incident, saying their investigation found no laboratory accident and that no plague pathogens were detected.
According to the Russian health authorities and the WHO, there is no danger of an epidemic in Siberia, and the overall risk to the public is assessed as low.
The WHO has requested additional information from the Russian authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding Shipilova’s pneumonia and to investigate possible health risks.
Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog, said it was lifting precautionary measures put in place after Shipilova’s death after determining there was no epidemic threat to the population.
Roughly 200 people were initially placed under quarantine or medical supervision. The regulator said about 90% had since been released and that nearly 5,000 laboratory tests had found no dangerous pathogens.
According to Russian authorities, no plague infection has been detected among people who were in contact with Shipilova.
Rospotrebnadzor also said that Shipilova had been vaccinated and was considered immune to dangerous infections treated at the institute. However, authorities have not determined what caused the pneumonia that led to her death.
WHO is trying to clarify the cause of pneumonia
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had requested more information from Russia to clarify the circumstances of the case.
The WHO is seeking details on the cause of severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted Russia to impose public health measures, and reports of a second staff member with pneumonia of unclear cause.
The agency said that Russia reported that there had been no recent cases of plague in the Irkutsk region.
WHO also mobilized experts to assess the situation. Based on available information, it assessed the risk in Irkutsk as medium to low, low for Russia overall and very low for the WHO European Region.
The Kremlin rejects reports of a second plague case
The Kremlin has dismissed reports circulating of a possible second suspected plague case in Siberia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been a lot of media coverage of the incident, but that most of it was false information. He urged the public and the media to rely on information provided by Russian health authorities.
Reuters said it found no evidence in Russian media that a second person had died of the plague in Siberia, although some social media bloggers made unsubstantiated claims.
Russia says there was no lab accident
Russian authorities said their investigation found no lab accident involving dangerous microorganisms.
Testing of Shipil’s samples also reportedly found no microorganisms associated with the pathogens she was working with. The authorities say that the epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region is stable and that the official cause of her illness remains pneumonia of unknown origin.
Earlier reports from the Russian magazine People of Baikal claimed that Shipilova died of the plague, possibly after exposure from a broken test tube. Russian officials disputed the reports.
The US and the EU strive for transparency
The case has also sparked scrutiny outside of Russia. The United States formally asked Moscow for more information through a confidential diplomatic communication, a source familiar with the matter said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for more transparency, while President Donald Trump said he expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the incident.
The European Union also called on Russia to provide timely and transparent reporting, saying that reliable epidemiological and microbiological findings are needed.
Mongolia increases health surveillance at the borders
Mongolia has imposed additional health surveillance along its border with Russia, although its government has said the current level of risk remains low.
Border crossings in Selenge province continue to operate normally and health monitoring measures are in place.
China also said it continues to communicate closely with Russia on the prevention and control of infectious diseases, including plague.
What remains unknown
What caused Shipil’s pneumonia and death remains a key unresolved issue.
Pneumonia can result from a number of bacterial and viral infections and can also occur with pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory particles, but there is currently no confirmed evidence that Shipilova had the plague or that the disease spread among her contacts.
For now, Russian authorities say there is no epidemic threat, while the WHO continues to seek more information to resolve conflicting reports and assess the potential risk to public health.
(With inputs from AFP, AP, Reuters, Bloomberg)
Read also | Russian plague scare: Lab worker dies of ‘severe pneumonia’, dozens quarantined
