World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday called on Russia to report the death of a technician from a plague research institution in a timely, complete, and transparent manner. He specified that sharing information under the International Health Regulations is necessary to clarify conflicting reports and accurately assess public health risks. The WHO has requested additional information from Russia.

The deceased is Darya Shipilova, 28, who died two days after falling ill last week. She worked at the Siberian and Far Eastern Research Institute of Plague Control in Irkutsk, which stores and studies dangerous pathogens, including plague. Russian media reported that she may have contracted the disease after an accident at work. Russian authorities attributed her death to pneumonia of unknown cause and downplayed the incident.

On Tuesday, Russia formally responded to the WHO, stating that there have been no recorded cases of this dangerous disease in Irkutsk. Contacts have been identified, and tests for dangerous infectious disease pathogens returned negative. Reuters reported that it is not immediately clear whether this includes testing of the deceased herself or whether her infection with plague can be ruled out. Russian authorities previously informed the WHO that they are still investigating whether pneumonic plague was the cause of death. The International Health Regulations require a response to WHO requests within 24 hours.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier stated that there are no signs of a wider outbreak, and all contacts are being monitored, with no symptoms reported at that time. The risk assessment is: moderate to low in Irkutsk, low in other parts of Russia, and very low in the European region. The institute and nearby hospitals have reportedly implemented strict quarantine measures. There are also reports that Russia denies implementing anti-plague measures. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Moscow to disclose more details on Tuesday, stating that the current information is quite limited.

This is not a drug or vaccine order. The request for information comes from the WHO, while the laboratory and medical records are held by Russian institutions. The incident was triggered by the death of a plague research technician, leading to public statements divided between pneumonia and plague. The public health system benefits from obtaining contact testing results. The research institute, which stores dangerous pathogens, faces pressure, as do travel and trade expectations that were quoted before the cause of death was confirmed. The WHO's own risk rating remains low.

Source: Public Information