WHO asks Russia for details after Irkutsk lab worker dies of 'pneumonia of unknown etiology'
WHO requested data from Russian authorities to identify the cause and pathogen after a lab worker in Irkutsk died on October 2.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Russian authorities for information following media reports that another laboratory worker has fallen ill with pneumonia of undetermined origin.
WHO also requested additional data to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia and to identify the pathogen so that appropriate public-health measures can be taken.
Russian health surveillance authorities said they had found no cases of plague among people who had contact with a laboratory worker from an institute described in some reports as an Institute for Anthrax Research, who died last week.
Death in Irkutsk and official steps
A laboratory worker at the Institute for Plague Research in Irkutsk, in southeastern Siberia, died on 2 October under circumstances that remain unclear; the listed cause of death was "pneumonia of unknown etiology".
Russian officials stated they had not found evidence that her illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with and emphasized that the situation is under control. The hospital where she was treated has been placed under quarantine, and roughly 200 people who had contact with her are under strict medical supervision.
WHO's requests aim to resolve outstanding questions about the origin of the illness and to ensure that any necessary containment or public-health interventions are based on confirmed laboratory findings.
Photo: press material from the event
