Suspected case of pneumonic plague in Siberia, WHO monitoring the situation

A 28-year-old laboratory technician, an employee of the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, Siberia, died in hospital in early October with symptoms of severe pneumonia. The news currently comes from a single journalistic source, which reports statements from Rospotrebnadzor — the Russian federal authority for health safety — and from the World Health Organization; no further independent confirmation is currently available.

Rospotrebnadzor stated that the woman died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and that tests conducted did not detect any microorganisms linked to her professional activity:

“no microorganism associated with her professional activity was detected” — Rospotrebnadzor, Russian federal authority for health safety

The anti-plague institute in Irkutsk is a facility dedicated to the study of dangerous pathogens, including plague, and the fact that the victim worked there has made the case the subject of immediate attention from international health authorities, although no direct link has so far been established.

The World Health Organization is in contact with Russian authorities to verify the circumstances of the death, the laboratory tests carried out and the status of the woman’s contacts. Based on the information gathered so far, WHO has assessed the risk to the general population as low, an assessment that may be revised as new data emerge from the ongoing investigations.

Around 200 people are currently under observation in the Irkutsk region, and at least four hospitals are under quarantine. These are precautionary measures, adopted while awaiting laboratory tests that must clarify the cause of the pneumonia and, above all, whether or not there is a link with the activity of the anti-plague institute where the woman worked — a link that the Russian health authority has for now ruled out.

The case remains open: the final diagnosis depends on tests still underway, and WHO has not currently confirmed nor denied the account provided by Russian authorities. Any updates on the number of people under observation or on the status of the quarantines in the region’s hospitals will be reported as soon as they are available from verifiable sources.