Russian health authorities dismissed rumors of a second person falling ill after a worker’s death at a plague research lab in Siberia. The health regulator refuted claims circulating on social media, stating that all contacts of the deceased woman were checked, and no infectious diseases were detected. The 28-year-old lab employee, Daria Shipilova, passed away from unestablished pneumonia, according to Russian officials. Precautionary measures were swiftly implemented, attracting global attention.
Rospotrebnadzor, the health watchdog, clarified that the deceased employee had an unknown type of pneumonia, and no relevant pathogens were found in those in contact with her. The World Health Organization assessed the public risk as low initially but requested more information from Russian authorities for a comprehensive risk evaluation. Health Canada and the U.S. CDC are monitoring the situation, with both countries seeing minimal risk at this time.
The CDC in the U.S. noted a low risk from an unconfirmed pneumonic plague case in Siberia, with preparations in place to monitor and screen travelers. The agency has a port health station at John F. Kennedy International Airport for surveillance of travelers from the region. Travel restrictions between Russia and the U.S. have been in place since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
