The authorities of Russia have informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that no cases of pneumonic plague have been detected in the Irkutsk oblast nor have "high-risk pathogens" been found among the people who were in contact with the researcher who died after an accident in a laboratory in Shelekhovo, Siberia, once the medical observation period was completed.
"In response to the verification request from the WHO made under the International Health Regulations, the Russian health authorities have communicated that no cases of plague have been recently recorded in the Irkutsk region," reported the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement.
The same document indicates that the institutions of the Russian Federation claim to have conducted "an epidemiological investigation," in addition to applying "prevention and control measures" and having "subjected the identified contacts" of the deceased to medical observation and testing.
"Furthermore, they have communicated that no high-risk pathogens have been detected among the contacts and that the medical observation of all individuals identified as such has concluded," added Tedros.
The WHO, however, "has requested more information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, and the media reports about a second employee affected by pneumonia of undetermined cause."
In this regard, the organization led by Tedros maintains "active monitoring" of the case of the worker from the Irkutsk Research Institute against Plague who died from "possible pneumonic plague resulting from an alleged accidental exposure in the laboratory." For this reason, it continues to be in contact with the Russian authorities, to whom it "has offered technical support," according to the statement released by its Director-General.
"The timely, complete, and transparent exchange of information, in accordance with the International Health Regulations, is essential to clarify the contradictory information and allow for an accurate assessment of potential public health risks," he emphasized.
The WHO has sent Russia the latest requests for clarification after, hours earlier, its spokesperson Christian Lindmeier indicated that the situation was already being closely monitored and that it was estimated "that the risk is between moderate and low in Irkutsk, low for Russia as a whole, and very low for the European region of the WHO."
The episode is also being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (CDC) and by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The latter noted this Tuesday that, with the "limited information" available, "there are no reports of secondary cases nor evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission that could lead to further spread of the disease."
The European agency, which "maintains proactive contact with WHO Europe," has also analyzed the level of risk. It has emphasized that, although "it is necessary to quickly identify and monitor close contacts" of patients with suspected or confirmed pneumonic plague —who "must be isolated and receive appropriate treatment"— the pathology "can be effectively treated with antibiotics readily available in the European Union," where no cases have been reported "for decades."