Abstract
The results of an outbreak investigation of pneumonic plague conducted in the plague-endemic district of Fenoarivobe, Madagascar, revealed a familial cluster of plague. Transmission was aided by intrahousehold contact or gatherings and was amplified by delayed plague treatment, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and rapid initiation of appropriate therapy.
Source:
Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.260549
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Regarding the death of a laboratory worker in Irkutsk Oblast of Siberia, Russia, due to severe pneumonia of undetermined etiology, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (October 12) that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s latest announcement, information obtained from the Russian authorities indicated that no evidence of ongoing transmission associated with the event had been identified.
Nevertheless, for the sake of prudence, the CHP has implemented a series of control and prevention measures.
The CHP will continue to closely monitor the latest developments, respond swiftly, and strictly guard against imported cases in order to safeguard public health.
After noticing media reports of the above-mentioned death case in Russia in early October, the CHP immediately and proactively sought further information from the WHO and the Russian health authorities.
According to the latest information from the WHO, citing data provided by Russian authorities, no case of plague had been recorded recently in Irkutsk Oblast, the laboratory testing of the deceased's contacts detected no high-threat pathogens, and that there were no further cases of severe pneumonia linked to this case.
The Russian authorities reported that no biosecurity incidents had occurred in the laboratory, and quarantine measures were instituted in the hospital where the patient was being treated.
According to the WHO's assessment, no evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event has been identified so far.
Nevertheless, a key uncertainty remains the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker.
The WHO will continue to monitor the situation and assess any potential public health implications as further information becomes available.
In recent months, the CHP has not received any reports of residents or travellers arriving in Hong Kong from Russia with cases of pneumonia of undetermined etiology.
Based on current information, there is no evidence indicating ongoing transmission.
The CHP assesses that the immediate public health impact to Hong Kong is low.
For the sake of prudence, the CHP has implemented a series of control and prevention measures to guard against imported cases, including:
(i) strengthening health surveillance for passengers arriving on relevant flights from Russia at the airport, including arranging for Port Health Division officers to conduct temperature checks at the relevant flight gates, and conducting health assessments for passengers exhibiting symptoms;
(ii) displaying signages and broadcasting announcements in the airport arrival area and through airlines to urge passengers who have visited Irkutsk Oblast of Siberia, Russia, within the past 14 days to proactively declare their travel history to the on-site staff of the DH for further health assessment;
(iii) if an inbound traveller exhibits symptoms of pneumonia, after assessment by Port Health Division officers, arrangements will be made immediately to transfer the individual to a public hospital for further testing; and
(iv) providing the Airport Authority Hong Kong and airlines with the latest information regarding the case in Russia, and urging airlines to remind their flight crews to strictly enforce established prevention and control measures if they identify suspected cases on their flights.
Through existing mechanisms, Hong Kong has the capacity to detect cases of unexplained infections and emerging infectious diseases at boundary control points and in hospitals.
In addition, the CHP will send letters to all doctors and hospitals in Hong Kong, reminding them to remain highly vigilant and to strengthen surveillance. Any patient who has visited Irkutsk Oblast of Siberia, Russia, within 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms and has developed pneumonia of undetermined etiology must immediately report to the CHP so that further testing can be arranged.
The CHP reminds travellers that if they develop respiratory symptoms after returning to Hong Kong, they should wear a face mask, seek medical attention and report their travel history to a doctor. The CHP will continue to maintain close liaison with the WHO and other relevant health authorities, closely monitor developments, and adjust disease prevention strategies as necessary to safeguard public health.
Ends/Monday, October 12, 2026 | Issued at HKT 16:25
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Source:
Link: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/12/P2026101200466.htm?fontSize=1
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Situation at a glance
On 2 October 2026, WHO became aware through media reports of the death of an employee of the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute (APRI) of Siberia and the Far East, the Russian Federation.
According to these reports, the individual died on 2 October following hospitalization for severe pneumonia on 29 September, and pneumonic plague was suspected as the cause of death, following occupational exposure in laboratory settings.
Following requests for verification from WHO, the National Focal Point for the International Health Regulations (2005) (NFP) of the Russian Federation confirmed the death and informed WHO that no case of plague had been registered recently in Irkutsk Oblast, that preventive and control measures had been implemented in accordance with national sanitary legislation, and that the laboratory testing of contacts detected no high-threat pathogens.
The authorities also reported that no biosecurity incidents had occurred in the laboratory, contrary to reports in the media, and that there were no further case of severe pneumonia linked to this case.
The NFP informed WHO that the case and all contacts had been tested for a range of microorganisms, including high-threat pathogens.
Test results were negative for the tested high-threat pathogens.
All contacts had been medically followed up in healthcare facilities or at home, and all remained asymptomatic throughout.
Quarantine measures were instituted in the hospital where the patient was being treated.
Based on the information provided by NFP, WHO has not identified evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event.
A key uncertainty remains the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker.
WHO will continue to monitor the situation and assess any potential public health implications as further information becomes available.
Description of the situation
On 2 October 2026, WHO became aware through media reports of the death of an employee of the Irkutsk APRI of Siberia and the Far East, Russian Federation.
The individual died on 2 October following hospitalization for severe pneumonia on 29 September.
On 3 October, 5 October, 6 October and 7 October, WHO contacted the Russian Federation health authorities to verify the information reported by media including a purported second case and in accordance with Articles 9 and 10 of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), WHO also asked for further information to assess the potential international public health implications in accordance with Article 6 of the IHR.
On 2 October, a public statement issued by the Irkutsk branch of Rospotrebnadzor (RPN), a federal agency that works to provide oversight and control of wellbeing and consumer rights and protection in the Russian Federation, indicated that a “special sanitary-epidemiological expert commission” had been convened for the suspected case of high-threat pathogen.
Sanitary and epidemic control measures were put in place, including identifying contacts who were placed under medical observation.
Russian Federation authorities stated at the time that all contacts were without symptoms and with negative laboratory results for high-threat pathogens.
On 6 October, WHO received a response to its verification request from the NFP of the Russian Federation, stating that no case of plague has been registered recently in Irkutsk Oblast, and confirming that an epidemiological investigation had been conducted following the identification of a case of severe pneumonia in an employee of the Irkutsk APRI.
According to authorities, the individual initially presented with symptoms compatible with an acute respiratory viral infection.
After testing negative for a number of high-threat pathogens, the patient was determined to have died from pneumonia of undetermined etiology.
Russian authorities informed WHO of the following:
§ that preventive and control measures had been implemented in accordance with national sanitary legislation;
§ that the widest possible range of contacts were identified, placed under medical observation and tested for high-threat pathogens, and
§ that as of 9 October, no high-threat pathogens within the laboratory’s research portfolio had been detected in any of the contacts, and
§ their medical observation has been discontinued.
The authorities further reported that no laboratory biosafety or biosecurity incidents had occurred at the institute, as determined by two independent investigations and stated that media reports suggesting otherwise were inaccurate.
According to the Russian Federation authorities, the situation continues to be monitored.
Following subsequent requests for information from WHO on 7 and 8 October, the NFP of the Russian Federation provided further information.
According to their official report, the patient and all identified contacts were tested for a broad range of pathogens, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, other respiratory infections, and bacterial infections (including plague and streptococcus).
All results were reportedly negative for high-threat pathogens, and only two cases of COVID-19, three cases of rhinovirus, one case of Haemophilus spp., and other opportunistic infections were identified among contacts.
The authorities further reported that the fatality was not due to plague infection, had been vaccinated against the high-threat pathogens with which the employee had worked occupationally.
The report also stated that the individual had not travelled outside of Irkutsk Oblast during the two weeks prior to symptom onset.
WHO has offered support in the areas of high-threat pathogens and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity to the public health authorities in the Russian Federation.
In response to further information about the public health measures put in place, Russian Federation authorities reported that given the patient’s occupation, precautionary public health measures were implemented, and a broad range of contacts were identified and placed under medical observation either in healthcare facilities or at home.
Medical observation, including daily laboratory testing, was conducted for seven days and has been completed for all identified contacts.
All contacts remained asymptomatic and tested negative for the pathogens under investigation.
The Russian Federation authorities informed WHO that, apart from the hospital where the case was admitted, no other healthcare facility was placed under quarantine or subjected to additional public health measures, contrary to media reports.
Public health response
The NFP of the Russian Federation publicly announced that the regional sanitary and anti-epidemic commission convened an extraordinary meeting on 2 October.
RPN, the responsible agency, approved an operational action plan of sanitary and anti-epidemic measures, in accordance with national legislation, including contact tracing and medical follow-up, laboratory testing of identified contacts, enhanced epidemiological investigation and risk assessment and implementation of precautionary infection prevention and control measures.
Five Rospotrebnadzor organizations, including three research institutions, were involved in the measures.
The preventive and anti-epidemic measures were implemented in accordance with the patient's professional activities.
No infectious disease-related health concerns were identified.
More than 5500 laboratory tests were conducted, and none detected high-consequence or dangerous pathogenic microorganisms.
Testing was performed using a broad range of established laboratory methods, including bacteriological, biological, mass spectrometric, and molecular genetic techniques.
No high-threat pathogens were detected among contacts, and all follow-up activities were completed without identifying additional cases.
WHO risk assessment
WHO’s rapid risk assessment is a systematic and continuous process that characterizes the risk posed by a public health event and informs measures to reduce its impact and prevent international spread.
A key uncertainty for this event is the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker.
According to information provided by the national authorities, testing did not identify plague or other tested high-threat pathogens, and the death has been classified as pneumonia of undetermined etiology.
However, WHO has not received information identifying the causative agent responsible for the fatal illness.
Given the absence of a confirmed diagnosis, WHO is not in a position to independently assess whether the duration of the reported monitoring period for contacts was sufficient to exclude all plausible causes of the fatal illness.
The occupational setting of the case remains an important consideration.
The deceased individual worked at an institution that handles high-consequence pathogens, and precautionary public health measures were reportedly implemented because of the individual's professional activities.
While the information provided by the authorities does not indicate infection with tested high-threat pathogens or identify additional linked cases, the source of the fatal illness remains undetermined.
A laboratory-associated exposure therefore cannot be fully excluded at this stage.
Based on the information provided by NFP, WHO has not identified evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event.
However, confidence in the assessment remains limited by the absence of a confirmed etiological diagnosis, and the remaining uncertainty regarding the source and mode of exposure.
Additional clinical, epidemiological and laboratory information, including confirmation of the diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker, is required to improve confidence in the assessment.
WHO will continue monitoring the situation and assess any potential public health implications as further information becomes available.
WHO advice
WHO encourages all States Parties to the IHR to actively engage with the WHO IHR Contact Points in their respective WHO Regional Office for timely event-related communications, including by applying, to that effect, the decision instrument contained in Annex 2 of the IHR, intended to inform the decision by national authorities to notify WHO (Article 6) or to consult with WHO (Article 8).
As the etiology of the fatal illness remains undetermined, further investigation of available clinical specimens and epidemiological information should continue, as appropriate.
Additional laboratory testing, including confirmatory testing by reference laboratories where needed, may assist in establishing the causative agent and refining the public health risk assessment.
Depending on seasonality and local epidemiology, States Parties may consider enhancing or strengthening community-based, event-based or sentinel surveillance for respiratory infections and strengthening testing capacities for respiratory pathogens.
Public health authorities may also encourage uptake of recommended vaccinations against seasonal influenza, COVID-19, pneumococcal diseases and other vaccine-preventable respiratory infections as appropriate.
Given that the reported event involved a laboratory worker and that initial media reports suggested a possible occupational exposure or laboratory-related incident, WHO recalls the importance of maintaining robust biosafety, biosecurity, and infection prevention and control practices in laboratories handling potentially hazardous biological agents. This recommendation is precautionary in nature and does not imply that a laboratory-associated infection or incident has been confirmed in this event.
Should an occupational exposure to biological hazards occur among personnel working in laboratory settings, regardless of the specific role or the nature of the clinical outcome, WHO recommends strict adherence to appropriate biosafety, biosecurity and infection prevention and control measures in accordance with established protocols.
These measures are intended to minimize the risk of occupational exposure to and unintended release of infectious agents and should be applied consistently as part of routine laboratory practice, without implying that a particular infection or clinical condition was necessarily acquired as a result of occupational exposure in the laboratory setting.
Based on the information currently available, WHO does not advise any restrictions on travel or trade related to this event.
WHO will continue monitoring the situation and updating its recommendations as additional information becomes available.
Further information
° Rospotrebnadzor: a full range of preventive measures has been completed in Irkutsk. Available here: https://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru/deyatelnost/epidemiological-surveillance/?ELEMENT_ID=33189
° Shelekhovsky District official website, Extraordinary meeting of the Regional Sanitary and Anti-Epidemic Commission. Available here: https://www.sheladm.ru/p/044cd85d94814bb99845ef58826e6adc
° Irkutsk region Governor. Available here: https://web.max.ru/-68185301813993
° Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East. Available here: https://irknipchi.ru/index_eng.htm
° World Health Organization (2020). Laboratory biosafety manual, 4th ed. World Health Organization. Available here: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/337956.
° World Health Organization (2021). WHO guidelines for plague management: revised recommendations for the use of rapid diagnostic tests, fluoroquinolones for case management and personal protective equipment for prevention of post-mortem transmission. Available here: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/341505.
° World Health Organization. Fact Sheet Plague. Available here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/plague
Citable reference: World Health Organization (10 October 2026). Disease Outbreak News; Pneumonia of undetermined etiology in the Russian Federation. Available at: https://www/who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak.news.item/2026-DON620
Source:
Link: https://www/who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak.news.item/2026-DON620
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Extract, edited}
(...)
[#Russia Denies Second Case of Pneumonia of Unknown Cause#]
On October 8th local time, the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) issued a statement denying online reports that a staff member at the Siberian and Far Eastern Institute for Plague Prevention in Irkutsk had died of "pneumonia of unknown cause" and that a second case had emerged among those who had been in contact with her.
The statement indicated that medical observation of all contacts of the aforementioned staff member had been completed, and no health abnormalities related to infectious diseases had been found.
Nearly 5,000 laboratory tests had not detected any dangerous pathogens.
The statement confirmed that the health and epidemic prevention situation in Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk City, and Sherekhov City was calm.
The institute in question is located in Irkutsk City, and the staff member died in Sherekhov City.
The statement also stated that the WHO had not confirmed any new cases.
At the request of the WHO, the agency has provided full information on the measures taken.
Previously, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on the social media platform X that the patient had died on October 2nd after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
Since the initial report by independent media, the WHO has been actively monitoring the situation regarding this death.
Russian health authorities have informed the WHO that no cases of plague have been reported recently in the Irkutsk region, and no high-threat pathogens have been detected in tests of those who had contact with the patient. (CCTV News video @Knews)
Source:
Link: https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2026-10-08/doc-iniupnux4339084.shtml?from=pcsearch
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated on October 8, 2026, regarding recent international media reports of a death from pneumonia of unknown cause reported on October 2, 2026, at the Irkutsk Plague Control Institute in Siberia, Russia, followed by a second suspected plague death on October 6.
To closely monitor the international epidemic situation, the CDC, through its counterpart in Taiwan's International Health Regulations (IHR), inquired with the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 6 to verify relevant epidemic information.
The CDC indicated that the WHO officially responded on October 7. According to information provided by the WHO, Russian authorities informed the WHO on October 6 that no plague cases had been reported in the Irkutsk region recently.
Regarding the severe pneumonia case involving an employee of the Irkutsk Plague Control Institute, the country has launched an epidemiological investigation and initiated relevant prevention and control measures. All contacts have been identified and tested, and no high-threat pathogens have been detected so far.
The WHO stated that due to incomplete information regarding the case, it is currently insufficient to draw empirical conclusions regarding whether this event poses a potential risk to the public, and caution is needed while conducting dynamic risk assessments.
The WHO Director-General also issued a public statement on October 6th, formally requesting Russian authorities to clarify the exact cause of the first case of severe pneumonia, the pathogen that led to the implementation of large-scale public health measures, and to provide specific explanations regarding media reports of a second case of pneumonia of unknown cause.
The WHO will continue to maintain contact with Russian authorities and actively verify the veracity of media reports.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated that Taiwan has not reported any cases of plague since 1953.
Furthermore, according to WHO statistics, between 2019 and 2025, a total of 3,860 suspected cases of plague have been reported in 10 countries globally, of which 2,646 were confirmed cases, resulting in 423 deaths (a case fatality rate of 11% for suspected cases).
Approximately 98% of confirmed cases globally were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar; neighboring countries such as China reported 19 confirmed cases, and Mongolia reported 17 confirmed cases.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) emphasized that it has been closely monitoring the development of the outbreak, strengthening quarantine measures such as fever screening at borders, and has established relevant testing capacity and an infectious disease prevention and control medical network in Taiwan.
The relevant treatment drugs are also readily available and stably supplied antibiotics in domestic clinical medicine, which can be used for diagnosis, treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis.
The public is urged not to panic excessively.
Source:
Link: https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Bulletin/Detail/ZSgA4XCBC3WbeC0Wb8Em-g?typeid=9
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Excerpts}
7 October 2026 | Remarks | Geneva
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
Last Friday, the 2nd of October, the first media reports emerged of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute in the Russian Federation.
The lab worker died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Initial media reports suggested pneumonic plague following an accidental lab exposure.
WHO is aware that the Russian government held a meeting on the 2nd of October because they suspected a resident of the Irkutsk oblast had contracted a dangerous infection.
On Saturday, WHO asked the Russian Federation for more information, in accordance with the International Health Regulations.
Yesterday, the Russian Federation responded, saying that no case of plague had recently been reported in the Irkutsk oblast, and that they had placed about 200 contacts in quarantine.
However, WHO has requested further information on the laboratory tests conducted on the individual who died and the contacts, more detail on what prompted the public health measures, and details about the health status of the contacts.
We have also sought verification of media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.
WHO has offered technical support related to plague and lab biosafety and biosecurity.
As we don’t yet have the full picture of this event, we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment.
Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks.
===
Now to the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The number of confirmed cases has now reached 8665, with 4178 confirmed deaths.
In some areas, there are clear signs that the epidemic is slowing down, although in others it is continuing to grow.
Since the outbreak began, contact tracing has improved significantly, around 2000 alerts are reported every day, and about 5 million people have been reached through community engagement activities.
Clinical trials of therapeutics are progressing, with more than 600 people enrolled;
A vaccine trial is expected to start later this month, and we are working on ensuring access to these products should they prove efficacious in trials.
These advances are the result of hard work over many months, by communities and partners under the leadership of the government.
But we continue to face significant challenges.
The majority of deaths still happen in the community instead of in treatment centres, and contact tracing is still not at the level needed.
And we cannot forget that this epidemic is unfolding in an area beset by a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
While transmission is going down overall, new hotspots continue to appear, including in areas close to the border with South Sudan.
And as you know, Kenya yesterday reported a case of Ebola in a Kenyan citizen who fell ill in DRC, was treated at several facilities there, then travelled to the Kenyan capital Nairobi via the Ugandan capital Kampala.
Immediately upon arrival in Nairobi, he was taken to hospital where he was isolated and Ebola was confirmed. He received care but died on Monday this week.
Kenyan authorities are monitoring 55 contacts, including passengers and crew who were with the patient on the flight from Kampala to Nairobi.
Yesterday, I spoke to the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the case and the measures that Kenya had taken to prepare for an event like this.
I commend the Kenyan government for its prompt action and for reporting the case to WHO under the International Health Regulations in a timely way.
WHO advises against blanket travel or trade restrictions, which are less effective than screening, contact tracing and other measures.
Transparency should be rewarded, not punished.
(...)
Source:
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Extracts, edited}
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.
(...)
Source:
Link: https://k.sina.com.cn/article_7295511724_1b2d8acac04001jmsw.html?from=pcsearch
____
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Excerpts, edited.}
(...)
A 28-year-old female researcher working at the Irkutsk Plague Control Institute was hospitalized on September 29 with severe pneumonia and died in Sherekhov on October 2.
Russian authorities stated the cause of death was undetermined and no occupational pathogens were detected; however, independent media outlets reported further deaths in quarantine areas and hospital capacity restrictions, presenting inconsistent information.
(...)
Before her hospitalization on September 29, Shipilova was described by colleagues as having participated in fieldwork in the Buryat region, near the Mongolian border.
Local media also reported that she broke test tubes containing live bacteria in the laboratory, but this detail has not been confirmed by Russian officials.
Rospotrebnadzor's investigation concluded that no evidence of an accident involving the handling of pathogenic microorganisms was found.
The number of contacts varies slightly from source to source, with foreign media reports totaling approximately 197 to 200, some of whom are hospitalized for observation.
Subsequent official reports indicated that common respiratory pathogens such as COVID-19 and rhinovirus were detected among those under observation, but no dangerous pathogens associated with Yersinia pestis were detected.
According to the WHO's report from Russia on October 6, no cases of pneumonic plague have been registered in Irkutsk.
Around October 1st, the hospital where Sherekhov was treated implemented limited entry and exit, with some departments suspending admissions and discharges.
Independent media outlets have described the limited access and closed-loop management of the First, Third, and Tenth Clinical Hospitals in Irkutsk, as well as the Ivano-Matreninskaya Children's Hospital, as a "pandemic model" or "three-week quarantine," though this has not been fully confirmed by officials.
On October 3, the Baikalsk government posted on Telegram, advising residents to postpone travel to Sherekhov and surrounding areas due to "unofficial confirmed cases of plague in Sherekhov." The post was deleted approximately two hours later. Independent media outlet The Insider reported that REN TV removed five articles related to the incident; Channel 5 and some print media articles were also taken down.
(...)
On October 2nd, an aluminum plant required employees to wear masks, which was later changed to seasonal respiratory disease prevention on October 4th.
Personnel in protective suits were seen at the entrances of childcare facilities and some hospitals, and residents photographed fully equipped staff entering and exiting the Sherekhov medical center.
British media reported a 5000% year-on-year increase in searches for the Russian word "chuma," reflecting public panic, but not necessarily indicating a confirmed diagnosis.
The second death came from independent media reports after October 6th, stating that another person had died in the isolation hospital, possibly a medical staff member or a former patient.
Neither Rospotrebnadzor nor the WHO's current reports have confirmed a second death from plague or pneumonic plague. The official wording in the report can only retain phrases like "media reports, awaiting etiological report."
(...)
Four points need to be verified: whether sputum culture, blood culture, and PCR of the deceased detected Yersinia pestis and phage typing; the fever conversion rate of approximately 200 contacts after October 9; whether the WHO obtained the original test reports; and whether the pathological autopsy in the isolation ward of Sherekhov Hospital was made public.
Without all four points, the second case and the laboratory leak remain at the level of suspicion.
Source:
Link: https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1878371860695545357&wfr=spider&for=pc
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Edited}
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated on October 6, 2026, regarding recent international media reports of a death from pneumonia of unknown cause reported on October 2, 2026, in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia.
The patient was a 28-year-old female laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, who died on October 2 after developing severe pneumonia.
According to an official statement issued by the Rospotrebnadzor (Russian official infectious disease management agency), as reported by local Russian media, expanded testing of the infected employee's samples revealed no special microorganisms related to her job duties.
The country's biosafety expert committee also confirmed that no pathogen leakage occurred at the laboratory.
Furthermore, Russia has conducted extensive testing and hospitalized isolation observation on all contacts.
Currently, only two cases of COVID-19 and two cases of rhinovirus infection have been detected, with no other special infectious disease pathogens found, and the relevant contacts have no abnormal symptoms.
The incidence of respiratory diseases among the general population in the region remains within the normal seasonal range.
Further information is still pending clarification.
A WHO spokesperson stated that the public health risk posed by this event to the general public is low.
To monitor the situation, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) inquired with the International Health Regulations (IHR) {focal point} in Russia on October 5th for detailed information regarding the event to clarify the local epidemic situation and the risk of cross-border transmission.
The CDC also sent a letter to the WHO today (October 6th) requesting information related to this case.
The CDC explained that Taiwan has not reported any cases of plague since 1953.
Regarding the international epidemic, according to WHO data, from 2019 to 2025, 10 countries worldwide reported 3,860 suspected cases of plague, of which 2,646 were confirmed cases, resulting in 423 deaths (a case fatality rate of 11% for suspected cases).
Approximately 98% of confirmed cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar. China reported 19 confirmed cases, and Mongolia reported 17 confirmed cases.
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) points out that plague is a Category 1 notifiable infectious disease, requiring reporting within 24 hours, immediate isolation and treatment with appropriate antibiotics as soon as possible.
Aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones are the first-line drugs for treating plague and are readily available and stably supplied in domestic clinical practice, suitable for both diagnostic treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis.
In response to emerging infectious diseases, Taiwan has established relevant testing capabilities and an infectious disease prevention and control medical network.
Legal regulations mandate that isolation hospitals at all levels develop emergency response plans, procedures for admitting infectious disease patients, and conduct regular drills, including personal protective equipment (PPE) donning and doffing, negative pressure isolation ward testing and maintenance, and inter-hospital transfer drills, ensuring frontline medical staff are aware of and report emerging infectious diseases.
In addition, collaborations have been established with three medical centers—Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital, and National Cheng Kung University Hospital—to set up a special pathogen technology care demonstration center.
A dedicated team has been formed to improve the efficiency of various hardware and software facilities in the care area, introduce smart healthcare technologies, and establish standardized care models. This center can provide professional technical guidance to isolation hospitals at all levels and is capable of providing comprehensive medical care services for patients with highly contagious or unexplained severe acute or emerging infectious diseases.
In response to the current international plague outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is not only closely monitoring the development of the epidemic both domestically and internationally, but also strengthening fever screening at airports and ports, as well as quarantine measures for aircraft and ships.
Furthermore, the CDC is using various communication channels to urge inbound and outbound travelers to pay attention to the international epidemic situation and their own protection.
Source:
Link: https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Bulletin/Detail/tfHqeDmxP80662NPXLwWYA?typeid=9
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Excerpts}
(...)
While Russia continues to deny a plague outbreak, neighboring countries have already taken action.
Following the death of a 28-year-old female employee of the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Irkutsk, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan have strengthened border health and quarantine measures.
Russia's latest conclusion remains that the illness is "pneumonia of unknown cause," and no plague has been publicly detected in the 197 contacts identified so far.
The deceased was named Daria Shipilova, and worked at the Irkutsk Siberian and Far Eastern Anti-Plague Research Institute, which is under the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare of the Russian Federation.
She was hospitalized on September 29 with severe pneumonia and died on October 2.
The incident quickly spiraled out of control because her workplace was not an ordinary laboratory, but an institution that specializes in researching highly dangerous infectious diseases such as plague.
Russian local media later published an extremely frightening version: Shipilova broke a test tube containing live plague pathogens while working in the laboratory on September 25 and subsequently fell ill.
This claim has not yet been confirmed by the Russian health authorities.
Following expanded testing, the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare stated that Shipilova's official diagnosis remains "pneumonia of unknown cause," and no microorganisms related to her occupational activities were detected in her biological samples.
The Russian side also stated that the expert committee found no evidence of any incidents involving the handling of pathogenic microorganisms at the institute.
However, the measures taken locally were not lenient.
Following Shipilova's death, 197 people who had been in contact with her were placed under medical observation. Russian local media initially reported that several hospitals restricted access, and research institute staff were also quarantined.
The Sherekhov aluminum plant near Irkutsk has even reinstated the requirement for masks.
Anna Popova, Russia's top public health official, traveled to Irkutsk to attend a special meeting on the prevention and control of "suspected particularly dangerous infectious diseases."
The leader of the neighboring Buryat Republic, Alexei Tsydenov, initially wrote directly "the woman who died of the plague," but later changed the wording to "possibly died of the plague."
By October 5, the Russian government had further downplayed the rumors.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said that expanded laboratory testing did not find any pathogens related to Shipilova's professional activities, and her cause of death is still listed as "pneumonia of unknown cause."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also publicly stated that day, urging the outside world not to follow rumors about a "plague outbreak" circulating online, but to rely on information officially released by the Russian health authorities.
But Russia's neighbors clearly did not wait for the final conclusion.
The Kyrgyz Ministry of Health announced that health quarantine checkpoints nationwide have been upgraded. Passengers, vehicles, and goods transiting the country will be subject to stricter epidemiological monitoring.
Tajikistan's health authorities have also confirmed that they have strengthened national border health and quarantine measures, with a focus on preventing the importation of particularly dangerous infectious diseases.
The Kazakh Ministry of Health stated that it is monitoring the situation in Irkutsk, and no cases of plague have been confirmed on the Russian side so far. Kazakhstan has assessed the risk of imported cases as "low," but health quarantine measures have been implemented at border crossings.
Uzbekistan raised its health and epidemic prevention department's alert level earlier, with the same aim of preventing the importation of particularly dangerous infectious diseases from abroad.
There's a place here that's easily swayed by social media.
The "pneumonic plague" mentioned in the English report is not "pneumonia plague"; the accurate Chinese name is "pneumonic plague".
Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis. The most common form is bubonic plague; if the bacteria invade the lungs, it can cause pneumonic plague. The biggest difference between pneumonic plague and bubonic plague is that the former can be transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets produced by infected individuals, which is why public health departments are particularly concerned.
However, "the existence of suspected pneumonic plague" and "the outbreak of pneumonic plague in Russia" are two completely different things.
As of the evening of October 5, publicly available evidence could only confirm a few things:
° a female employee of the anti-plague research institute had died;
° Russia had initiated preventative measures as a "suspected particularly dangerous infectious disease";
° approximately 197 contacts were under medical observation; and
° at least four Central Asian countries had implemented border control measures to prevent the importation of the virus.
What remains uncertain is precisely the most frightening question: whether she was actually infected with the plague, and whether the test tube supposedly containing plague bacteria was broken.
There's another layer of background to this mystery.
The vast grasslands and mountains bordering Russia, Mongolia, and northwest China naturally contain plague foci. Just this September, the Russian health authorities reported a high level of plague activity in animals in the Altai region near the Mongolian border and organized disease control personnel to conduct monitoring.
Therefore, the fact that Central Asian countries are now strengthening border health checks does not mean that they have confirmed the outbreak of plague in Russia.
What they are doing is something else entirely: conclusions can wait, but border epidemic prevention cannot.
To date, Russia has not released any laboratory results proving that Shipilova was infected with plague, nor has it released any reports on the pathogen strains detected in the so-called "ruptured test tube."
Source:
Link: https://www.163.com/dy/article/L8GQQJKP05528J01.html
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Summary
° What is already known about this topic?
§ Pneumonic plague is a rare and often fatal disease that can be transmitted by respiratory droplets from animals or persons infected with Yersinia pestis bacteria.
° What is added by this report?
§ In July 2025, Arizona reported its first pneumonic plague death since 2007, in a man with occupational exposure to ill cats. Two days after the patient’s death, preliminary diagnostic test results supported a suspected pneumonic plague diagnosis, prompting immediate identification of potentially exposed persons for postexposure prophylaxis.
° What are the implications for public health practice?
§ In areas with endemic plague, preliminary diagnostic test results combined with clinical suspicion for pneumonic plague can result in timely public health interventions.
Abstract
Pneumonic plague is transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets containing the bacterium Yersinia pestis and has a nearly 100% case-fatality rate when untreated. Although Y. pestis is endemic among rodents in northern Arizona, only eight human plague cases were reported in Arizona during 2000–2024. In July 2025, Arizona reported its first pneumonic plague death since 2007.
Source:
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7538a2
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
29 September 2026 | News release
Cholera deaths increased by 30% in 2025, despite fewer cases being reported to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2025, 47 countries reported 451 499 cholera cases and 7870 deaths to WHO. This is the highest number of annual cholera deaths reported to WHO since 1999. These figures reflect surveillance data reported to WHO and not the actual global burden of cholera, which is estimated to be substantially higher as many cases go unreported.
Seven countries – Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen – accounted for around 90% of all reported cholera cases and deaths globally. The WHO African Region reported the largest burden, with a 34% increase in cases and a 58% increase in deaths compared with 2024.
These findings are published in the latest edition of the Weekly Epidemiological Record alongside updates about two other epidemic-prone bacterial diseases: meningitis and plague.
"The rise in cholera deaths is a reminder of the challenge ahead,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme.
“No one should be dying from cholera today when we have the tools to prevent and treat this disease. The concentration of cases and deaths in a small number of countries shows where targeted investments in safe water, sanitation and hygiene could have the greatest impact. Combined with stronger disease surveillance, community engagement, vaccination and access to quality care, these investments can help turn this trend around."
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. The disease spreads through food and water contaminated with faeces, especially in areas without safe water and sanitation.
While cholera is preventable and treatable, it can be fatal if severe dehydration is not rapidly treated. More than one in five reported cholera deaths occurred outside health facilities, highlighting that too many patients are still not reaching care in time. Among patients treated in health facilities, the fatality rate was below 1% – a threshold for adequate care – globally. However, the rate exceeded 1% in 12 countries in 2025.
Global production of oral cholera vaccines more than doubled between 2022 and 2025, increasing from around 30 million to approximately 80 million doses annually, significantly improving vaccine availability. Last year, the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision approved 71 million doses for use in affected countries, including 20 million doses for preventive vaccination, which resumed earlier this year after being suspended for more than three years.
Vaccination is advancing the fight to defeat meningitis by 2030
Bacterial meningitis continues to place a substantial burden on countries in the African meningitis belt, an area extending from Senegal to Ethiopia where epidemics occur regularly. In 2025, 24 of the 26 countries in the region reported 21 526 suspected cases and 971 deaths to WHO, corresponding to a fatality rate of 4.5%. Among countries reporting data for both years, cases declined by 5.9% compared with the previous year.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, with bacterial meningitis being the most serious type. Four types of bacteria account for most cases of bacterial meningitis worldwide.
Vaccination has transformed the efforts to combat meningococcal meningitis, one of the main causes of bacterial meningitis. Since the introduction of the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine in 2010, cases of serogroup A have declined by more than 99% among vaccinated populations, and no confirmed case has been reported since 2017 in countries that introduced the vaccine.
A vaccine offering broader protection against five meningococcal serogroups, Men5CV/MMCV, is now being introduced in the region for both outbreak response through the ICG and preventive vaccination campaigns. In 2025, Niger became the first country to carry out a country-wide campaign using this vaccine.
Surveillance remains essential to control plague
Plague is a bacterial disease that usually spreads between animals through fleas and can sometimes infect people.
Between 2019 and 2025, 10 countries reported suspected human plague cases to WHO, six of which reported confirmed cases. Overall, 3847 suspected cases and 423 deaths were reported to WHO, corresponding to a case fatality rate of 11%. Most cases were reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar, where plague remains endemic in some areas. Plague may also occur in countries that do not report cases, and annual case numbers fluctuated depending on the timing, location and magnitude of outbreaks.
Continued surveillance of rodent and other animal populations, together with rapid response to outbreaks, remains essential to detect plague early, reduce transmission and prevent larger outbreaks.
About WHO
Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, WHO leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere, an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the United Nations’ agency for health that connects nations, partners and people in more than 150 locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to support all countries to promote, provide and protect health. “Together for health. Stand with science”, the theme of World Health Day 2026, marks a year-long campaign to highlight science as the foundation for protecting health and well-being worldwide.
Source:
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
