WHO assesses low public health risk after suspected plague death in Russia
publishers 40articles 47first reported 4 Oct, 20:38 UTCdeveloping since 5 Oct · 13 editions
The World Health Organization has assessed the public health risk across Russia as low following the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker in Siberia whose illness prompted reports of pneumonic plague.
Darya Shipilova worked at an anti-plague research institute in the Irkutsk region, where plague occurs naturally among wild animals. Russian authorities said she died from pneumonia of undetermined cause and that post-mortem testing found no microorganisms connected to her work. Officials said the regional health situation remained stable.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said authorities were investigating whether pneumonic plague caused the death. The agency assessed the risk as moderate to low within Irkutsk, low across Russia and very low for the wider WHO European region.
Russian authorities identified and monitored nearly 200 people who may have had contact with Shipilova. According to the WHO, tests detected no dangerous infectious-disease pathogens among those contacts. A local hospital department where she was treated was temporarily quarantined.
Unconfirmed media reports have suggested a laboratory accident may have caused the illness. United24 Media also cited an unverified report of a second death, which Russian authorities have not acknowledged.
The United States said it was monitoring developments but did not consider them cause for alarm. Indonesia increased surveillance at international entry points, while Thailand’s disease-control agency said there was no evidence of an outbreak or person-to-person transmission and assessed the risk to Thailand as low. No WHO warning or travel advisory has been issued.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 6 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 42 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
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- Source articles
- 47
- Given to the writer
- 8, 6 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 42 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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