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Russia Plague: 5 Unanswered Questions
Russian officials said tests found no plague bacteria and no new cases among staff after the death of a 28-year-old lab worker.
On Tuesday, Russian authorities denied imposing anti-plague measures following the death of 28-year-old Darya Shipilova at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, insisting the regional health situation remains stable.
Three city hospitals in Irkutsk were reportedly quarantined last week, with up to 200 people under observation, according to independent outlet People of Baikal, which reported the technician may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube.
Postmortem tests found no microorganisms linked to Shipilova's professional work, Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev said on Monday, though the official cause remains 'unknown origin' and authorities have yet to publish detailed test results.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday his government is watching the situation 'very strongly,' while Rospotrebnadzor announced on Tuesday that Russia is prepared to assist the United States in combating its own infectious disease outbreaks.
The World Health Organization estimates the risk of an outbreak to be moderate to low for Irkutsk, where an international conference on plague and infectious diseases is scheduled for October 21 to 22.
Russian authorities claim to have identified all people who had contact with a 28-year-old woman who died of unknown cause and who worked at a research institute on the plague