Concern Over Potential Plague in Northeastern Russia

On Thursday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), issued a statement diplomacy informing the public that there is no evidence currently indicating an outbreak of plague in northeastern Russia. However, he also noted that the Russian authorities have not been as forthcoming as they should be regarding the situation and called for more information.

This week, international health officials were alerted after reports emerged from Irkutsk, Siberia, about the death of a 28-year-old worker named Daria Shipilova at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. It was reported that she died from a respiratory issue, possibly after accidentally breaking a test tube containing a live pathogen during her duties. Russia’s primary health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, confirmed her death but only stated that she suffered from “pneumonia of unknown origin.” They did not clarify whether any pathogens related to her work were detected in her system, which is something Tedros expressed particular interest in during his comments.

“We are aware that the Russian government convened a meeting on October 2 because they suspected a local resident might have contracted a dangerous infection,” Tedros stated. “On Saturday, we requested more detailed information from the Russian Federation under the International Health Regulations.” He further mentioned that the Russian Federation replied on Tuesday, confirming no recent cases of plague had been reported in the area and that around 200 contacts were under quarantine. Still, Tedros emphasized that W.H.O. seeks additional details about laboratory tests performed on the deceased and those in quarantine, the reasons behind the public health measures, and the health conditions of the contacts.

Furthermore, Tedros referenced uncorroborated claims that another worker from the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute had fallen ill. This report has been strongly denied by the Russian government. Tedros reiterated that accurate information is critical as W.H.O. seeks clarity on this developing situation.

“Without a complete understanding of the incident, we cannot conduct a thorough risk assessment,” Tedros concluded. He stressed the importance of timely, thorough, and transparent sharing of information to clarify conflicting reports and assess potential public health risks accurately.

This cautious but confident plea from Tedros stands in contrast to the W.H.O.’s earlier reaction to unidentified respiratory illnesses emerging in Wuhan, China, back in late 2019, which was later determined to be the novel coronavirus that ultimately resulted in over 7 million deaths worldwide.

In January 2020, the W.H.O. quickly noted that initial investigations by Chinese authorities found no clear proof of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Tedros later pushed the Chinese government to be more open about the outbreak information only after it had escalated to a global pandemic. It took over a year for the W.H.O. to investigate the origins of the virus, allowing ample time for critical early samples to be compromised, and they did not thoroughly outline their investigative intentions.

Following W.H.O.’s statements, the Russian government has insisted there are no signs of pneumonic plague in Siberia. Meanwhile, the Kremlin urged the public to rely solely on information provided by Rospotrebnadzor and declared most media reports regarding the situation to be inaccurate.

“The media reports a lot,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked. “Most of what is being reported about this situation is false.” On Thursday, Russian authorities denied rumors that a second employee from the Irkutsk laboratory had become ill.

Rospotrebnadzor emphasized that robust preventative and epidemiological measures are in place, stating there are no epidemic risks in Irkutsk. They claimed to have completed around 90 percent of the contact tracing related to Shipilova’s case, finding no evidence of plague transmission. The agency also disputed local media reports about regional quarantines. Additionally, the mother of the deceased, Svetlana Shipilova, vehemently rejected claims that her daughter had broken a test tube with a live pathogen, asserting that “a test tube is unbreakable,” and lamenting the rumors spread by “stupid friends.” A friend of the deceased was also quoted, criticizing those suggesting a laboratory leak.

Local news reports indicated a lack of significant public health activity in Irkutsk, with residents noting minimal concern. “There’s no chatter on the streets, no rush, no panic like before,” one unnamed woman commented. “At first, people were worried, but then memes started circulating, and everyone seemed to calm down.”