Russia’s health regulator has said there is no risk of an epidemic in Siberia after the death of a plague institute worker, even as the World Health Organization sought more information about the cause of death.
Russian authorities said the 28-year-old laboratory worker died last Friday from pneumonia of an undetermined origin. The case triggered international concern and led to around 200 people being placed in quarantine.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the matter did not appear to involve a bioweapon, adding that Russia claimed the situation was under control.
The World Health Organization said it could not make a full risk assessment because it had not received enough information from Russian authorities.
Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said precautionary measures were being scaled back after it concluded there was no risk of an epidemic. It said nearly 5,000 laboratory tests had found no dangerous pathogens and that 90% of those placed in quarantine had already been released.
The agency said the worker had been vaccinated and was considered protected against the dangerous infections she handled, but it did not explain what caused the pneumonia or how she fell ill.
WHO officials said more details were needed about the laboratory tests conducted and the pathogens examined before the case could be properly assessed.
The Kremlin said Russia had informed the WHO in line with established procedures and dismissed media reports about a second case as false information.
The exact cause of death remains unknown. Pneumonia can be caused by several infections, including plague, flu and COVID-19.
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