WHO seeks clarity on suspected plague lab death in Siberia
WHO has asked Russia for details on a lab worker's death and about 200 people in quarantine, saying it cannot yet assess the risk.
The story in focus
WHO is seeking more information from Russia about a laboratory worker in Irkutsk who died after severe pneumonia, following media reports of suspected pneumonic plague. Russia says no plague case was recently reported there and that about 200 contacts are quarantined. WHO says it cannot yet conduct a full risk assessment.
- A laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
- Russia told WHO no plague case had recently been reported in Irkutsk oblast and that about 200 contacts were quarantined.
- WHO has requested lab test details, the health status of contacts and verification of a reported second pneumonia case.
Conflicting reports under review
Media reports of a suspected pneumonic plague case in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute emerged on 2 October, according to WHO. The worker died after hospitalization with severe pneumonia. WHO said the Russian government met that day because it suspected a local resident had contracted a dangerous infection.
On Saturday, WHO asked Russia for information under the International Health Regulations. Russia replied that no plague case had recently been reported in Irkutsk oblast and that about 200 contacts were in quarantine. WHO has asked for details of laboratory tests on the person who died and on contacts, the reasoning behind the public health measures, and the contacts' health status. It also seeks verification of reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause. WHO said it cannot yet conduct a full risk assessment and has offered technical support on plague and laboratory biosafety.
Ebola response and new obesity guidance
On Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO reported 8,665 confirmed cases and 4,178 confirmed deaths. It said transmission is slowing in some areas but growing in others, with new hotspots near the South Sudan border. More than 600 people have enrolled in therapeutic trials, and a vaccine trial is expected to start later this month. Kenya reported one case in a citizen who fell ill in DRC and died in Nairobi; 55 contacts are being monitored.
WHO also released its first guidelines on obesity in children and adolescents, noting prevalence quadrupled from 2% to 8% over 35 years, with more than 170 million affected. The guidance recommends structured changes to diet, behaviour and physical activity, and addresses pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery and weight-loss devices.
Has Russia confirmed a plague case linked to the Irkutsk laboratory?
No. Russia told WHO that no plague case had recently been reported in Irkutsk oblast. It placed about 200 contacts in quarantine, and WHO is still seeking test results and verification of a reported second pneumonia case.
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