A second fatal case of plague is said to have occurred in Russia following the death of an employee from a laboratory in Siberia. The World Health Organization continues to urge Moscow for full transparency, and U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will discuss this issue with Vladimir Putin.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating information regarding a second possible case of pneumonic plague in Siberia. The regional independent publication Liudi Baikal, cited by the British newspaper The Independent, reported that a second person has died after experiencing severe respiratory problems.
However, the information about this second death has not been officially confirmed.
Reuters specifies that it has not been able to find such reports in the Russian press nor evidence that a second person in Siberia has died, although some bloggers on social networks have made such claims without presenting evidence.
At least 197 individuals identified as direct or indirect contacts of laboratory staff remain in medical isolation. Approximately 100 of them are currently under monitoring in various hospital departments, as reported by the British newspaper.
A Russian epidemiologist has doubts
WHO officials are requesting transparency from Moscow following the death of Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory technician at the Plague Research Institute in Irkutsk (located in the city of Shelehov).
Shipilova was hospitalized at the end of last month with acute respiratory failure and was connected to a mechanical ventilation device, but she died on October 2.
Local media reported that she was exposed to a dangerous pathogen after accidentally breaking a test tube during routine activities in the laboratory.
However, high-ranking Russian epidemiologist Mikhail Favorov questioned this version of events in a statement to Echo radio earlier this week, emphasizing that the institute's staff works equipped with full protective suits.
"It's ridiculous. If you break a test tube, the actual probability of infection is very low. In short, for the general public, it doesn't matter – people will believe the story of the 'broken test tube'," Favorov said.
"It's absolutely horrifying. We won't be told what really happened," he added.
Contradictory information about the situation in Siberia
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the UN agency has requested additional information from Russian health authorities regarding a second employee presenting symptoms of unexplained pneumonia.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Dr. Ghebreyesus urged Russia to make all known information about the outbreak public: "The exchange of prompt, complete, and transparent information in accordance with the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify the contradictory reports and allow for an accurate assessment of potential public health risks."
So far, official statements have been contradictory.
Municipal authorities in the neighboring city of Baikalsk posted a warning on Telegram urging residents to avoid traveling to Shelehov, but the message was removed from the official channel two hours later, according to Liudi Baikal publication.
Additionally, Alexei Tsydenov, the head of the Republic of Buryatia (a neighboring region), initially announced on social networks that the technician died of plague before amending his post to specify that she "could have" been infected.
Regional sources reported that Shipilova worked with the Yersinia pestis bacterium – the same one that caused the "Black Death," the epidemic that decimated over a third of Europe's population in the 14th century.
Unlike bubonic plague, transmitted by flea bites, pneumonic plague directly affects the lungs and can spread rapidly from person to person through respiratory droplets. However, pneumonia can have various causes besides plague, such as bacterial infections or viral respiratory diseases like influenza or Covid-19.
Kremlin blames the press
WHO stated that it maintains close contact with Russian authorities and has provided technical support for managing and limiting any potential epidemic.
Moscow informed WHO that the epidemiological investigation has been completed and asserts that tests did not detect highly dangerous pathogens among the individuals who had contact with the patient and were under monitoring.
When asked about WHO's request to comment on information about a second person in Siberia falling ill, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged caution regarding the use of media reports as a source of information on the situation.
"There is extensive coverage, and most of the information circulated by the press on this topic is false," Peskov said, as cited by Reuters.
He recommended that the press and others rely on information provided by Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian health regulatory authority.
Trump wants to talk to Putin
The U.S. President stated on Tuesday that he has a scheduled phone call with Vladimir Putin to discuss the suspected plague case at a research institute in Siberia.
Donald Trump said he will discuss this case with Putin "very soon."
When asked about what U.S. intelligence services say about this case, he stated that the U.S. is in "very deep discussions" on this matter. "We will be able to provide information on this, probably tomorrow (Wednesday)," Trump said, as quoted by AP.
T.D.