WHO says no plague case registered after Russian lab worker dies
WHO says it found no evidence of ongoing transmission, but the cause of a Russian laboratory worker’s fatal pneumonia remains unknown.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
The World Health Organization says no plague case has been registered following the death of a worker at a Russian anti-plague research institute. In its latest assessment of the WHO no plague case Russia report, the agency said it had found no evidence of ongoing transmission, while the cause of the worker’s fatal pneumonia remains unconfirmed.
The assessment is based on information supplied by Russian authorities, WHO said. Russia’s state health regulator reported that tests on the worker and people who had contact with her were negative for the high-threat pathogens examined, according to Reuters.
What did WHO say about the Russian lab worker’s death?
WHO said the worker’s contacts had not developed symptoms and that no additional severe pneumonia cases connected to the event had been identified. It said those findings did not show continuing transmission linked to the death.
However, the agency said the lack of a confirmed diagnosis for the worker remains an important unanswered question. Its statement did not establish a different cause of death or rule out every possible health concern; it reported the available findings from Russia and the absence of evidence of an ongoing outbreak.
The laboratory worker died on October 2 after developing pneumonia of unknown origin, according to Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor. Authorities put about 200 people in quarantine or under observation after her death, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported.
Pneumonic plague was suspected early in the episode, but it has not been confirmed. Russian authorities have said no microorganisms associated with the worker’s job were detected in her body and that post-mortem testing did not find plague, according to Al Jazeera.
What did Russia tell WHO about the contacts?
Russia told WHO it had completed health checks of all people who had contact with the worker and had provided the agency with its information under established procedures, Reuters reported. Russian officials also said the worker had been appropriately vaccinated.
WHO had sought verification and further details after learning of the death through media reports, NPR reported. The agency requested information on laboratory testing, public-health measures and the health of the worker’s contacts.
WHO’s latest statement narrows what is known: no plague case has been registered and no linked ongoing transmission has been identified on the information it received. The illness that killed the worker has not been diagnosed.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.