The U.S. and the World Health Organization are demanding more details from Russia, a day after a technician from a Siberian anti-plague research institute succumbed to a mysterious form of pneumonia. The incident has gained the world’s attention because the 28-year-old, Darya Shipilova, was employed at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, a research center dedicated to the plague and other potentially deadly diseases.
Russian officials have not yet confirmed that Shipilova died of the plague. She died on October 2 of pneumonia per Rospotrebnadzor, a government agency that enforces health regulations nationwide, but authorities have yet to determine the cause of death. 200 people who are suspected to have encountered her have undergone quarantine or medical observation.
But, this has still caused alarm as pneumonic plague, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, can be a very deadly and dangerous form of infection. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and is transmitted through fomite or respiratory droplets, not from an infected flea (as in bubonic plague). Pneumonic plague is dangerous if left untreated, but can be treated effectively with antibiotics if diagnosed early.
Much of international concern centered on uncertainty about the reason for the woman’s illness. The WHO said it had asked Russia for further details about the cause of the severe pneumonia, the microbes that triggered the country’s public-health response and reports about a second worker who may have contracted unexplained pneumonia. Sharing the details with a greater degree of timeliness and transparency is essential to evaluating the health threat, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Washington has also officially requested an explanation from Moscow. The U.S. State Department through a diplomatic request, a dmarche, called on the Russian government “to provide further details about the incident and its response.” U.S. officials have been keeping a close watch on the developments while reiterating that there are many unanswered questions.
Russia has attempted to calm the public and international organisations that there is no indication of a larger outbreak of the disease. Rospotrebnadzor said almost 5,000 tests for dangerous pathogens had come back negative related to people related to the dead worker. Some 90% of the people originally placed in a quarantine have now been released, the latest statement said.
The WHO has also preliminary considered the situation to be well away from being an international emergency. The organisation says that on the information currently available, the risk is rated as moderate to low in the Irkutsk region, low for Russia overall, and very low for the European region. The WHO continues to closely follow the outbreak.
The crisis has been exacerbated by unsubstantiated reports online about how Shipilova got sick, with some circling that she was exposed to plague bacteria in a lab accident, while others have said she may have been exposed outside of work. Russian authorities have not confirmed these theories and Reuters has reported there is no publicly available evidence to prove them.
