Russian health authorities dismissed rumors of a second person falling ill after a lab worker’s death at a plague research institute in Siberia. The health regulator clarified that no infectious diseases were detected among the contacts of the deceased woman, and laboratory tests on nearly 5,000 samples showed no harmful pathogens.
The deceased, Daria Shipilova, succumbed to an unknown pneumonia at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov. Officials stated that Shipilova, who was vaccinated, was immune to the diseases she handled, and no relevant pathogens were found in those who had contact with her.
The World Health Organization deemed the public health risk from the incident in Russia as low but expressed a need for more information from Russian authorities to assess the situation fully. Health agencies in Canada and the U.S. are monitoring the situation, with both countries reporting minimal risk to their populations.
In response to the incident, the CDC has heightened surveillance at international entry points, including John F. Kennedy International Airport. With direct flights between Russia and the U.S. suspended since the Ukraine conflict, authorities are closely monitoring travelers from the affected region.