Russia says no outbreak after lab technician's death at Irkutsk plague institute
Health authorities describe the situation in the Siberian region as stable after a technician was hospitalised and died.
Russian health authorities say the situation in the Irkutsk region of Siberia is stable after the death of a laboratory technician at a local research centre for plague and other infectious diseases.
The woman, who worked at the Research Institute for Plague of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk, was hospitalised last Tuesday with symptoms of severe pneumonia and died two days later.
Officials in the regional health service have sought to reassure residents by saying there are no confirmed cases of plague linked to the incident and that standard containment and testing procedures are under way.
Authorities and international interest
The institute where she worked conducts research on bacterial infections endemic to parts of Russia, and its staff have previously handled dangerous pathogens under strict laboratory protocols.
The administration of Donald Trump said yesterday that the White House is monitoring reports of a possible case of plague in Russia, signaling international attention to the death and the health authorities' response.
Photo: TASS)
