Quarantine and medical observation measures were introduced in Russia’s Irkutsk region in Siberia over concerns about a highly dangerous infectious disease. An employee of the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute died after Rospotrebnadzor diagnosed the person with pneumonia of unknown cause.
People who had contact with the deceased employee were placed under medical observation. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said no symptoms of illness had been detected among the contacts and that laboratory tests had returned negative results.
Some hospital procedures suspended in Shelekhov
Maxim Modin, head of the Shelekhovsky District administration, said patient admissions and discharges had been temporarily suspended in some units of the district hospital. The restrictions were imposed because of concerns about a highly dangerous infectious disease in the region.
Aleksey Tsidenov, head of the Republic of Buryatia, said the deceased woman had not traveled to Buryatia. Tsidenov said there was no plague outbreak in Buryatia, including in areas near the border with Mongolia.
Sanitary situation in Irkutsk stable and calm
Rospotrebnadzor said no emergency had occurred while pathogenic microorganisms were being handled at the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute. The agency said the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk region and in the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov was stable.
The agency said no cases of infectious disease had been recorded among institute employees during the previous 10 days. In a subsequent statement, it also said the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk was calm.
A local publication claimed that the deceased employee became ill after breaking a test tube at the end of last month that allegedly contained “pneumonic plague.” However, no definitive statement was made about the exact cause of the illness or whether the plague diagnosis had been confirmed.
Moscow and Washington emphasize official information
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Rospotrebnadzor was the competent agency handling the incident. Peskov urged the public to rely on the agency’s official statements rather than rumors and speculation.
At a briefing on Oct. 7, Peskov said most media reports on the epidemiological situation in Irkutsk did not reflect reality. He said reports that a second employee at the institute had been diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown origin largely contained false information, urged reliance on statements by Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova, and said the World Health Organization had been informed.
U.S. President Donald Trump said they were closely monitoring a possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia and would provide assistance. Peskov said he viewed the mutual offers of assistance positively.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was monitoring reports about a suspected case of pneumonic plague in which a person died in Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called on Russia to ensure full transparency about the incident and share detailed information with the international community.
WHO assesses public health risk as low
The World Health Organization said it was continuing to communicate with local health authorities about the incident. Based on the unofficial information currently available, the organization assessed the public health risk in the region as low.
According to the World Health Organization, plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The bacterium can spread through small wild mammals and fleas found on those animals.
The most common form of the disease is known as bubonic plague. Pneumonic and septicemic plague can be fatal if not treated early. Pneumonic plague is described as the most severe form of the disease, while its incubation period can be as short as 24 hours.
Plague is also associated with the Black Death pandemic, which killed more than 50 million people in Europe in the 14th century.
Rospotrebnadzor: no second case
Rospotrebnadzor said claims of a second case among the employee’s contacts were untrue. Medical observation of all contacts has ended, and about 5,000 laboratory tests found no dangerous pathogens. The World Health Organization has not confirmed any new cases.
