Russian health authorities debunked claims of a second individual falling ill after the death of a worker at a plague research lab in Siberia. The regulator refuted what it labeled as “misinformation circulating on social media about a second illness case.” They confirmed that thorough checks on all contacts of the deceased woman revealed no health issues related to infectious diseases, and nearly 5,000 lab tests showed no dangerous pathogens.

The worker, Daria Shipilova, aged 28, passed away from pneumonia of an unknown origin at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, Siberia. Russian officials swiftly implemented precautionary anti-epidemic measures following her death. Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog, disclosed that the deceased had an unknown type of pneumonia and no relevant pathogens were found in those in contact with her. They mentioned that she had been vaccinated and was immune to the infections she worked with.

The World Health Organization initially assessed the public risk as low in the Russian case but expressed the challenge of making a comprehensive risk evaluation due to insufficient information from Russian authorities. The WHO Director-General offered assistance to Russia and sought verification of media reports regarding a second employee with unexplained pneumonia. Health Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also monitored the situation, stating low risks to their respective countries.

Russian-U.S. flights have been suspended since the Ukraine war began in 2022. The CDC’s port health station at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York is prepared to monitor and screen travelers from Siberia. Health and Human Services noted around 200 travelers annually from Siberia to the U.S., with no immediate plans for screening at U.S. entry points.