No ongoing transmission linked to the case was identified in an investigation into a laboratory worker who died of severe pneumonia in Russia’s Irkutsk region. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the available information did not indicate such transmission.
The worker, who was employed at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, was hospitalized with severe pneumonia on September 29 and died on October 2. Pneumonic plague was considered a possible cause of death following occupational exposure in the laboratory, but the worker was not given a confirmed diagnosis.
No high-risk pathogens detected
Russia’s National Focal Point under the International Health Regulations confirmed the death. The institution said no plague cases had recently been recorded in the Irkutsk region and that preventive and control measures had been implemented in line with national sanitary regulations.
People who had contact with the case were tested for various microorganisms, including high-risk pathogens. All tests for high-risk pathogens came back negative.
The contacts were kept under medical observation at healthcare facilities or at home. None of them developed symptoms during the monitoring period. Russian authorities also said there had been no biosafety incident at the laboratory and no other severe pneumonia cases linked to the case.
WHO to continue monitoring
The WHO said there was no evidence of ongoing transmission associated with the incident based on the information available. The organization said it would continue monitoring the situation and assessing its potential public health impact as new information emerges.
Special measures introduced in Irkutsk
Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Kobzev announced that an emergency meeting had been held on October 2 following information that a region resident was suspected of having a particularly dangerous infection.
Rospotrebnadzor said special measures had been introduced after the institute worker was diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown cause. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the WHO had been briefed about the case in the Irkutsk region in line with existing procedures.
