WHO Says Public Health Risk 'Low' After Siberian Plague Lab Worker's Death
· Free Press Journal
The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the public health risk from plague in Russia as low following reports that a laboratory worker in Siberia’s Irkutsk region died of pneumonic plague.
The death of the worker at an anti-plague institute sparked concern last week. Russian authorities are investigating whether pneumonic plague caused her death.
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WHO assesses risk as low across Russia
"The WHO initial risk assessment from the information available estimates the risk to be moderate to low for Irkutsk, a low risk for the Russian Federation as a whole, and very low for the WHO European region," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
Russian authorities have quarantined about two dozen people and are monitoring hundreds more after a lab worker at a Siberian plague research institute died from a mysterious illness.The cause of death has not been confirmed, and testing is underway.@GillianHTurner reports the State Department is in direct contact with Russia as officials seek more information. The World Health Organization says the risk to the general public is low, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is monitoring the situation closely.Download the FOX News app to follow this developing storyhttps://t.co/ISpW9Fc0R3
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"A woman who worked at a laboratory in Irkutsk oblast has died, and the authorities are looking into whether pneumonic plague caused her death," he said.
The laboratory technician, identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, worked at an institute that studies dangerous pathogens in a part of Siberia where plague occurs naturally among wild animals, according to Lindmeier.
Russia Plague Scare: Dos & Don'ts For Mumbai Travellers Amid Suspected Case In IrkutskIllness initially appeared to be viral infection
"The illness initially presented as a typical acute respiratory viral infection," Lindmeier said.
Russian authorities identified people who had been in contact with Shipilova and monitored them, he added.
"According to the test results, no pathogens of dangerous infectious diseases were detected among any of the contacts," Lindmeier said.
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WHO monitoring situation
The WHO continues to monitor developments and is keeping other countries informed.
"WHO is following the situation closely, working with headquarters to keep other countries informed," Lindmeier said.
The UN health agency is also ready to provide support to Russian authorities if requested.