Russian health officials have refuted claims of a second individual falling ill following the recent death of a lab worker at a plague research facility in Siberia. The regulator dismissed what it labeled as “misinformation circulating on social platforms regarding a second case of illness.”
The health authority confirmed that all contacts of the deceased woman had been thoroughly screened, stating, “No health issues related to an infectious disease were identified, and nearly 5,000 lab tests revealed no presence of harmful pathogens.”
The deceased, 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, passed away from pneumonia of an unknown origin last Friday. Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Shelekhov. Russian authorities swiftly implemented preventive measures in response.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog, Shipilova succumbed to an unspecified form of pneumonia, with no relevant pathogens detected in those who had contact with her. Officials noted that she had been vaccinated and was therefore immune to the dangerous infections she worked with.
The World Health Organization initially assessed the public risk of the incident as low but expressed challenges in conducting a comprehensive risk evaluation due to insufficient information from Russian authorities. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus extended support to Russia and sought confirmation of media reports regarding a second individual with unexplained pneumonia.
Health Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been monitoring the situation. Both countries see minimal risk from the Siberian case. The CDC has a health station at JFK Airport in New York for surveillance and screening of travelers from the region. Direct flights between Russia and the U.S. have been halted since the Ukraine conflict started in 2022.