Russia has denied reports of a second suspected case of pneumonic plague following the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia.
The country’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said that reports claiming another person became ill after coming into contact with the deceased worker were false.
The 28-year-old laboratory worker, Darya Shipilova, died on October 2 from pneumonia of unknown origin. She worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in southeastern Siberia.
Russian authorities say nearly 5,000 laboratory tests carried out on people who had contact with her found no dangerous pathogens, and no cases of plague have been detected.
The World Health Organization has asked Russia for further information, saying it needs clarification on the cause of the woman’s death and reports of another employee developing pneumonia.
Russian authorities maintain that there is no risk of an epidemic, while investigations and monitoring continue.
