WHO: No Evidence Plague Spreading in Russia
WHO director says no sign of plague spreading in Russia, citing lack of new cases.
2 min read
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated there is no evidence of the plague spreading in Russia following a suspected lab leak incident in Siberia, according to a statement by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Tedros emphasized that the assessment is highly dependent on information provided by Russian authorities, which he said have been less forthcoming than desired.
WHO Repeats Russian Officials’ Claims
Tedros’ statement largely repeated what Russian officials have told him, stating that no cases of plague have been registered in the Irkutsk region. Russian health authorities reported that an epidemiological investigation was conducted, preventive measures were implemented, and contacts were placed under medical observation and tested. They also noted that no high-threat pathogens were detected among the contacts, and all medical observations were completed.
Rospotrebnadzor Winding Down Measures
Russian health agency Rospotrebnadzor said it is winding down precautionary measures in the Irkutsk region after finding no additional cases of plague infection beyond the initial victim, 28-year-old lab worker Daria Shipilova. Over 90% of the people placed under observation and quarantine have been released, and nearly five thousand laboratory tests found no additional infections.
Questions Over Shipilova’s Vaccination
Rospotrebnadzor also noted that Shipilova had been appropriately vaccinated against all pathogens at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute and should have been immune to the infections she worked with. Despite this, she became severely ill and died in a public hospital last week, raising questions about the incident.
Media Reports and Dismissals
Tedros said the WHO has requested more details about reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause, which have been carried by some Russian media outlets. The Kremlin, however, dismissed these reports, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling the media’s information false. Peskov also rejected a comment from President Donald Trump, who said he planned to call Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation.
Source: Breitbart
