Russia’s health regulator debunked rumors of a second individual falling ill following the demise of a worker at a plague research center in Siberia. The regulator clarified that there was no truth to the “fake information” spreading on social media about another case of illness. Extensive checks on all contacts of the deceased confirmed no signs of infectious diseases, with nearly 5,000 tests revealing no dangerous pathogens.
The 28-year-old lab employee, Daria Shipilova, passed away from unexplained pneumonia at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov. Russian authorities swiftly implemented precautionary measures in response to the incident. The deceased was vaccinated and considered immune to the infections she worked with, as stated by Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog.
The World Health Organization initially assessed the public risk level as low based on available information but expressed the need for more data from Russian authorities for a comprehensive risk evaluation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus offered assistance to Russia and sought verification of reports on a second employee with a similar pneumonia-like condition.
Health Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitored the situation, with both countries noting low risks related to the incident. Health measures were in place, including medical observation for 200 individuals in Siberia. The CDC maintained readiness to screen travelers from the region, while U.S.-Russia direct flights remain suspended since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.