Moscow denies sanitary measures over plague reports
Russian authorities have denied reports of a plague outbreak in the Irkutsk region following the death of a laboratory technician. Officials claim the death was due to pneumonia and that no sanitary restrictions have been imposed.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the sensitivity surrounding laboratory safety and the potential for misinformation regarding infectious diseases.
Russian authorities denied Tuesday that special restrictions had been introduced over reports that a laboratory technician died of plague, even as Washington said it was closely monitoring events.
Reports on Friday that pneumonic plague had killed 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, who had been working for the anti-plague institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region, sparked alarm.
Russia's consumer and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor however insisted Tuesday that a document circulating online indicating heightened sanitary-epidemiological measures and restrictions in the Irkutsk region was fake.
"We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue," it said on Telegram.
"No such decisions have been made at this time," it said, stressing that "the sanitary-epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk Region ... remains stable".
Also covering this story
11 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Russia hospitalizes almost 200 people after researcher's death from plague: Reports - CNBC
Plague outbreak in Russia? Hundreds quarantined after death of lab researcher
Scoop: White House monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia - Axios
Lab worker ‘possibly’ dies of plague in Siberia, prompting quarantine measures
US 'watching closely' after plague researcher dies in Russia, Rubio says
Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague institute lab worker dies
Russia's pneumonic plague scare: Nearly 200 quarantined after lab worker's death
Russian researcher ‘dies of plague released by lab accident’
Mass quarantine issued in Russia after unexplained death of plague researcher
Did a Russian lab worker die from pneumonic plague? What we know - and don't know
Russian Researcher Dies Of Plague, Hundreds Quarantined, 5 Hospitals Shut
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in