The death of a worker at a plague research laboratory in Siberia last week has raised global concerns, with Russian media suggesting hundreds of people were under quarantine and being tested for any possible symptoms amid outbreak fears. However, as the World Health Organisation pressed Moscow for more information about the cause of death of 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, Russia’s health regulator rushed in to say that there was no risk of an epidemic breaking out in Siberia. 

Shipilova, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, died last Friday from pneumonia of an as-yet unestablished origin, prompting international concern, including from US President Donald Trump. Amid growing scrutiny over the matter, unconfirmed Russian reports claimed a second death occurred in the region connected with the possible plague outbreak. 

But Moscow has dismissed the reports as fake news and urged people to rely on their health watchdog for credible information. When asked about reports of a second case, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information”.

“People should rely solely on official statements from Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor,” he insisted.

Rospotrebnadzor, meanwhile, said it was winding down precautionary measures it had put in place after concluding there was no risk of an epidemic and that it had shared its latest information with the WHO.

“No cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with the dead worker, Darya Shipilova, it said, and 90 per cent of those placed in quarantine had been released after nearly 5,000 lab tests had failed to detect any dangerous pathogens.” 

It said Shipilova had been vaccinated and was therefore “immune to the dangerous infections with which she worked.” It did not say, however, what had caused the pneumonia that killed her or how she had fallen ill.

The Bioweapon Concerns 

When asked whether a bioweapon caused the death, Trump told reporters, “Well, we don’t think so. We’re going to find out soon enough, but we don’t think so.”

He said Russia was not saying much about the situation, but “they do say they have it very much under control,” adding he had set up a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“They’re sharing (information) a little bit with our people. We expect them to share it a lot with our people,” said Trump, speaking in the Oval Office.

The Global Scare

Global health officials, as well as the world’s media, have been particularly alert to pneumonia cases of undetermined cause since the COVID-19 pandemic, which began with a cluster of fast-spreading fatal respiratory illnesses in China.

However, the cause of individual pneumonia cases can often not be determined.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Erica Schwartz said at an event the agency was prepared to monitor and screen travelers although the risk to the US was extremely low.

The WHO initially said it estimated the risk of the Russia case to the public as low, based on what had been made known, but told a press conference on Wednesday that it could not make a fuller risk assessment due to insufficient information from the Russian authorities.