WHO: No further signs of infections at Russian plague lab

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday there were no further signs of infections at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia, following one researcher at the facility reportedly dying from the pneumonic plague .

“No case of this dangerous disease has been recorded in the city of Irkutsk, ​Russian Federation,” Russian authorities said in an official ​response to a WHO request, according to Reuters.

In a separate statement to The Hill’s partner, News Nation, WHO said, “all of the patient’s contacts have reportedly been identified and are being monitored for illness, and none to date have shown symptoms of illness.”

Early testing results “to date are reportedly negative” but it was “unclear for which pathogens” they were tested .

“Based on unofficial information available, the public health risk to the general population appears to be low. The risk assessment will be updated once more information is available,” it added.

On Friday, a woman in her late 20s “died of severe pneumonia” in Russia, according to the WHO, citing other reports. The agency stated that no cause of death has been confirmed.

Authorities are investigating whether pneumonic plague caused the researcher’s death, as the research institute in Siberia studied dangerous pathogens, including plague. In the region, plague can also naturally occur in wild animals.

WHO confirmed it had not “received a formal notification about this through [International Health Regulations (IHR)] channels” though the agency believes this may be because Russia is determining whether the event falls under the notifiable categories.

WHO requested information from Russian authorities on the incident on Saturday, which under the IHR, gives Russia 24 hours to respond. It is unclear if Russia has responded to the WHO’s request.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday he believed its “incumbent” on Russia to share more information on the laboratory where someone died. Rubio did add it’s “irresponsible” to speculate on how the illness will progress .

The Trump administration is monitoring the case in Russia and similarly encouraged Russian authorities to share further information on the incident. It is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other interagency partners.

According to the CDC , pneumonic plague “is a rare and often fatal disease that can be transmitted by respiratory droplets from animals or persons infected with Yersinia pestis bacteria.”