Russia has rejected claims that a laboratory worker died from plague and pushed back against reports that anti-plague measures are in place, instead offering to help the United States deal with its own disease problems.
Health officials say a 28-year-old technician at an anti-plague research centre in Siberia’s Irkutsk region died last week, but they insist the cause remains unclear.
Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported Friday that Darya Shipilova may have caught pneumonic plague from a broken test tube while working at the facility. The outlet also said up to 200 people who came into contact with her are now in quarantine.
But Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor says none of this is true.
“We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue,” the agency said on Telegram Tuesday.
The agency stressed that no special measures have been introduced and the health situation in the region remains stable.
Tests find no plague bacteria
Officials say tests carried out after Shipilova’s death found no trace of plague.
Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev said Monday that inspectors determined the woman died from pneumonia, but the exact cause is “undetermined”.
“No microorganisms linked to the young woman’s professional work were found in her biological samples,” he said.
Kobzev added that no other staff from the institute have sought medical help since the death.
WHO says risk remains low
Pneumonic plague attacks the lungs and spreads through the air when infected people cough or sneeze. The disease can kill quickly if doctors don’t treat it early, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The WHO says the risk from this incident is moderate to low for Irkutsk, low for Russia as a whole, and very low for the rest of Europe.
“The WHO initial risk assessment from the information available estimates the risk to be moderate to low for Irkutsk,” spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.
Russia offers to help US instead
US President Donald Trump said Monday his government is watching the situation “very strongly” and offered to help Russia.
“We’ll help them as much as we can,” Trump told reporters.
Russia responded Tuesday by turning the tables and offering to help the United States fight its own disease outbreaks.
Rospotrebnadzor said the disease situation in the US “remains unstable” and pointed to worsening measles outbreaks in three states and a fatal plague case recorded in New Mexico in June.
The agency said Russia “possesses extensive practical and scientific experience in ensuring epidemiological well-being” and stands ready to send specialists, laboratory equipment and diagnostic tools to the US.
Rubio demands answers
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Russia to share more details about the reported death.
“I think it’s incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world,” Rubio said in Reykjavik, Iceland on Tuesday.
He said Washington is watching the situation “very closely” and urged Moscow to be transparent.
An international conference on plague and other infectious diseases will take place in Irkutsk on 21-22 October. Organisers say they arranged the event in June and it has no connection to the recent death at the anti-plague institute.
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