WHO officials say unclear how Russia plague lab worker died, call for more information
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday it does not currently have enough information from Russian authorities to conduct a full risk assessment after the death of a plague laboratory worker in Siberia.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said during a press conference that following media reports of the worker's death, the WHO asked the Russian Federation on Saturday for more information, in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR).
The Russian Federation replied on Tuesday, saying no case of plague had recently been reported in the Irkutsk oblast, in southeastern Siberia, and that about 200 contacts had been placed in quarantine.
"As we don't yet have the full picture of this event, we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment," Tedros said in his opening remarks. "Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks."
Initial media reports suggested a lab worker at Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute died of the plague, but Russian officials later disputed this, saying the worker died of pneumonia and that the illness was not linked to work in the lab.
Tedros said the WHO has requested more information surrounding the death of the lab worker, the tests being conducted on the individual who died, contact tracing of other individuals close to the worker, and other information.
"We don't know exactly how this person died," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the department of epidemic and pandemic management of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, told reporters on Wednesday. "We know that she had pneumonia. We know it was a fatal case. We understand that some laboratory tests have been done. They haven't found the causative agent, that we know, and so this is why we need more information."
It appears that the WHO may have leaned heavily on local media reports to better understand what may have occurred.
In response to a reporter's question about a potential incident in the lab, Kerkhove noted, "I know what you know from the media."
The WHO is awaiting more information from Russian officials regarding the incident, Van Kerkhove said.
"We expect further answers from Russia. We did get some reports back from them following the IHR verification request, but not yet everything has been provided to us," Van Kerkhove said.
Tedros added that the WHO has offered technical support related to plague and lab biosafety and biosecurity.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement, in part, that "at this time, there is no indication of a broader threat to the United States, but CDC and our interagency partners are prepared and will continue to monitor the situation closely."
Plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, according to the CDC. There are three types of plague: bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic. Symptoms often include fever, chills and weakness. Plague can be treated with antibiotics. The earlier antibiotics are received, the higher the chances of a full recovery.
The U.S. averages about seven cases of plague each year, mostly in Western states, according to the CDC, which notes it has been more than a century since the U.S. has seen a documented case of person-to-person spread of plague.
ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
