WHO presses Russia for answers on death of Siberian plague-lab worker
The World Health Organization said Wednesday it still does not know what killed a worker at Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute on Oct. 2, and urged Moscow to share more. Russian health officials say no plague has been found among her contacts. U.S. health officials call the risk to Americans extremely low.
What we know: A female lab worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died Oct. 2 in a hospital in Shelekhov, a town just outside Irkutsk, the Associated Press reported. Russia’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said she had “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Unconfirmed reports in Russia had blamed pneumonic plague, a severe form of the disease that can spread between people. Russian outlets named her as Darya Shipilova, 28; officials have not announced those details, NBC News noted.
What the WHO said Wednesday: Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management, said the agency does not know the “causative agent” behind the death and needs timely, regular information from Russia, AP reported. She said Russian officials had responded to earlier questions and the WHO has sent more. The WHO also cited media reports that a second employee had pneumonia of undetermined cause.
What Russia says: Rospotrebnadzor said testing of the worker’s contacts found two cases of COVID-19 and two of rhinovirus, the common-cold virus, and “no other infectious pathogens,” according to NBC News and AP. The agency said its probe found no incidents involving the handling of dangerous microorganisms, and Irkutsk’s governor said no microorganisms linked to her work were found in her body. About 200 contacts were placed under quarantine or medical observation, and the hospital where she was treated was closed for quarantine.
U.S. response: The State Department has said it was in contact with Moscow, and President Trump said he would raise the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin; the Kremlin said a call had not yet been set, AP reported. CDC Director Erica Schwartz said the threat to the U.S. is “extremely low.” Asked whether plague might be developed as a bioweapon, Trump said, “We don’t think so.”
What is still unknown: The cause of death, whether any pathogen from the lab was involved, and whether autopsy or lab results will be released. Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis; it does not spread easily and is treatable with antibiotics, AP noted.