On Tuesday, Russia denied imposing measures to combat the plague after reports of the death of a laboratory employee at an institute to combat this disease, while Washington called on it to be “transparent” about the situation, according to what was reported by “Agence France-Presse.”
A state of anxiety prevailed after reports published on Friday revealed the death of Daria Shepilova, 28, who was working at a plague control institute in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, as a result of her infection with the disease.
However, the authorities announced that the cause of death had not yet been determined, while the Russian Consumer Protection and Health Supervision Authority, Rospotrebnadzor, denied what was reported in a document circulated on the Internet that special health measures had been taken.
She said in a post on the Telegram application: “We would like to clarify that the aforementioned document and information were not issued by official sources and are incorrect.”
She added: “Until now, no decision of this kind has been taken,” noting that “the health situation is stable” in the Irkutsk region.
The People of Baikal news website reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources who said they were close to the security services in the region, that Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague due to a broken test tube.
Other media outlets reported a possible link between her death and a laboratory accident at the facility.
The People of Baikal website said that up to 200 people who may have been in contact with her had been placed in quarantine.
“Low risk”
However, Russian officials said that post-mortem examinations did not reveal the presence of the disease.
The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, said on Monday that a special committee of experts conducted an investigation in the region and concluded that “the cause of death was pneumonia of unknown cause.”
He added in a post on Telegram that the Russian Authority for Consumer Protection and Health Supervision concluded, after conducting tests, that “no microorganisms related to her professional work were found in the young woman’s biological samples.”
He pointed out that since the young woman's death, "no new cases of employees at the Plague Control Institute who requested medical care have been recorded."
Plague is a bacterial disease that can appear in several forms, including pneumonic plague, which is the most contagious form. Pneumonic plague can be fatal if not treated early, according to the World Health Organization.
For its part, the World Health Organization announced on Tuesday that the risk was “low” for Russia and “very low” for Europe, after a “preliminary risk assessment.”
“The WHO’s preliminary risk assessment, based on available information, estimates that the risk is moderate to low for the city of Irkutsk,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said at a press conference in Geneva.
“Transparency”
This issue received great attention in the United States, and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio called on Russia, on Tuesday, to be transparent, adding that Washington was monitoring the situation “closely.”
“I think it is Russia’s duty, of course, to share more information with the world,” Rubio said during a visit to Iceland.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday: “We are seriously considering the matter,” adding: “We will help them, we will help them as much as we can.”
In response, the Russian Consumer Protection and Health Supervision Authority said on Tuesday that Moscow is ready to help Washington control the outbreak of infectious diseases in the United States.
She added that “the situation with regard to serious infectious diseases remains unstable,” noting a “significant worsening” of measles cases in 3 American states, and a “death due to plague” that was recorded in the state of New Mexico in June.
The authority confirmed that Russia “has extensive practical and scientific experience in ensuring epidemiological safety, locally and internationally,” adding that it is “ready to provide the American side with specialists, laboratory equipment, and highly effective diagnostic and prevention tools.”
In June, it was announced that a conference on plague and other infectious diseases bringing together experts from several former Soviet republics would be held in Irkutsk on October 21-22.
The conference will focus on epidemiological surveillance, international cooperation and health protection, according to its website, which has not yet detailed the exact program.
