Suspicion of #plague in a #Russia #laboratory resurfaces; #WHO demands explanation for {a possible} second death (Sina, Oct. 7 '26)

 

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Suspicion of a plague leak from a Russian laboratory is escalating? A "second death" has been reported, and the WHO has demanded an explanation from Russia. #OverseasNews#

　　A staff member at a plague research facility in Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia, recently died. The laboratory worker died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia, leading to speculation that it might be related to pneumonic plague.

    The recent news of a second death from pneumonia of unknown cause in the region has once again drawn attention. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus publicly stated that the WHO has requested further information from Russia to verify the reports and clarify the specific circumstances of the two cases.

    According to foreign media reports, the British newspaper Daily Mail, citing local media sources, claims that another person may have died in the Irkutsk region. However, this claim has not yet been confirmed by Russian health authorities or the WHO.

    The local independent media outlet Baikal also reported that recent reports about the "plague" have begun to decrease, with some media outlets deleting related content.

    According to other reports, the Baikalsk city government had previously issued a notice advising residents to temporarily avoid traveling to Sherekhov. The notice stated that due to "unofficial information," cases of plague might have been discovered in the area. However, the notice was reportedly deleted approximately two hours after its release.

    The WHO has asked Russia to explain the situation of the "second case".

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently stated on the social media platform X that the WHO has been monitoring the death of a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Institute of Virology and Epidemiology since related media reports emerged.

    According to a previous notification from the Russian health authorities to the WHO, the staff member died on October 2 after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia.

    Some media outlets previously reported that the death may have been related to accidental exposure in the laboratory and pneumonic plague, but this claim has not yet been confirmed by authoritative departments.

    The Russian health authorities have informed the WHO that no new cases of plague have been registered in the region recently. Russia has launched an epidemiological investigation and implemented preventative and control measures, including medical observation and testing of identified contacts.

    The Russian side stated that no high-risk pathogens were found among the relevant contacts, and all confirmed contacts have completed medical observation.

    However, the WHO still requests Russia to provide more information, including the specific cause of the staff member's severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted Russia to take public health measures, and the specific details of the so-called "second employee with unexplained pneumonia" reported in the media.

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that timely, complete, and transparent information sharing is crucial for clarifying conflicting reports and accurately assessing potential public health risks.

    There is still a lack of authoritative evidence regarding a "laboratory leak".

    Earlier reports indicated that Darya Shipilova, a female researcher at a plague research institution in Sherekhov, Irkutsk Oblast, accidentally broke a test tube containing pneumonic plague pathogens while collecting samples on September 25 and died on October 2.

    The report also stated that approximately 200 people were identified as close contacts, and some were placed under quarantine or medical observation.

    However, it should be noted that the claims of "test tube rupture leading to pneumonic plague infection," "laboratory leak," and "a second death" all have varying degrees of information gaps and cannot yet be considered as confirmed.

    The most pressing question now is whether Russia will release the final test results for the deceased, as well as the specific details of the so-called "second case."

    Until this crucial information is clarified, it remains to be further investigated whether this incident is a case of ordinary severe pneumonia or involves high-risk pathogens such as plague.

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Link: https://k.sina.com.cn/article_7295511724_1b2d8acac04001jmsw.html?from=pcsearch

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