The World Health Organization has demanded further information from Russia over a mysterious pneumonia outbreak following the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia, as reports emerged of a second employee suffering from pneumonia of undetermined cause.
The request has intensified international scrutiny of an incident that Russian authorities have repeatedly sought to characterise as unrelated to plague, despite the involvement of a research institute specialising in the disease and the extensive public health measures introduced after the 28-year-old woman fell ill.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, said the organisation had asked Moscow for additional information to establish what caused the severe pneumonia and which pathogen had prompted the authorities to take precautionary measures.
“WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, and media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause,” he said.
“Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks.”
The intervention by the WHO comes as Russian officials insist that there is no evidence of plague among people who came into contact with the deceased woman, who worked at a plague research institute in Irkutsk.
Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said extensive testing had found no microorganisms in the woman’s body linked to her work and that no infectious diseases had been reported among staff at the institute during the previous 10 days.
“A comprehensive set of anti-epidemic measures was immediately organised and implemented in full in accordance with public health legislation,” the watchdog said.
“This included identifying the widest possible circle of individuals who had been in contact with the patient and arranging for them to be placed under medical observation in hospital with daily laboratory tests.”
Authorities said testing among those under observation had identified two cases of Covid-19 and two of rhinovirus, but no other pathogens associated with infectious disease.
“None of the contacts showed any changes in their state of health associated with infectious disease,” it added.
Yet the emergence of reports about another laboratory employee with unexplained pneumonia has complicated the official account and prompted the WHO to seek clarification.
Elena Sofina, deputy head of the Shelekhov district near Irkutsk, where a local hospital was placed under quarantine, said what she described as a “dangerous diagnosis” had not been confirmed.
She said 60 per cent of people placed under precautionary quarantine had already been released. Local reports had previously put the number of people quarantined at about 200.
The episode has attracted attention beyond Russia. US President Donald Trump described the situation as a “big problem for Russia”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Moscow had a responsibility to provide more information.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Washington’s offer of assistance, although he did not indicate whether Russia intended to accept it.
“It’s always good when mutual assistance is offered,” Peskov told reporters.
The WHO said Russia had informed it that there were no cases of plague in Irkutsk.
For residents of Shelekhov, however, the response has so far produced relatively little disruption. Locals said some people initially wore surgical masks in shops, while preparing for the possibility of restrictions.
Anna, a local resident, said the situation remained calm.
“Everyone had face masks at home and wore them for no more than 24 hours,” she told Reuters.
The immediate evidence therefore remains inconclusive. Russian authorities have reported no plague cases and identified other common respiratory infections among contacts, while the WHO is seeking further information about the cause of the severe pneumonia and the pathogen behind the precautionary response.
The unresolved questions are likely to keep international attention focused on the Siberian laboratory until a clearer explanation emerges.
Leave a Comment