Russian Officials Say Irkutsk Health Situation Stable After Anti-Plague Lab Worker's Death
Russian authorities say the epidemiological situation in Siberia's Irkutsk region remains stable after a lab worker at a local anti-plague institute died of severe pneumonia, as the White House monitors reports of a suspected plague case.
Authorities in Russia's Irkutsk region are continuing checks after a female employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week. She was hospitalized last Tuesday with symptoms of severe pneumonia and died on Thursday.
According to consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, cited by Interfax, the worker was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown etiology." Several media outlets reported the suspected infection could be pneumonic plague, a form that affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets.
Alexei Tsydenov, head of the neighboring region of Buryatia, initially said the employee had died of plague, then revised his statement to say she "maybe" had.
No hazardous pathogens found
Rospotrebnadzor said laboratory analysis of material from the patient found no microorganisms linked to her work handling dangerous pathogens. Earlier reports suggested she may have broken a test tube containing live bacteria, but a special commission at the institute, together with Rospotrebnadzor, concluded no emergency or security breach had taken place.
The watchdog said no other infectious disease complaints had been registered among institute staff over the preceding ten days. All close contacts were placed under medical observation with daily lab testing, which turned up two Covid-19 cases and two rhinovirus cases, but no other infections.
Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev said in a video published Monday that family members and close relatives currently under quarantine could be discharged next week. Local media reported that, contrary to earlier claims, area hospitals have continued operating on their standard schedules apart from localized precautionary measures.
On Sunday, a Trump administration official told Axios that the White House is monitoring reports of a suspected plague case in Russia.
