Mystery surrounds young worker's death at Russia lab studying severe diseases
The World Health Organisation is investigating the death of a laboratory worker in Russia who was studying severe diseases. While initial reports suggested pneumonic plague, Russian health officials have found no evidence of dangerous pathogens in over 5,500 tests.
Why it matters
The incident raises concerns about biosafety protocols in high-security research facilities and the potential for zoonotic disease outbreaks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Saturday it still doesn't know what caused the death of a young worker at a lab in Russia that focuses on plague and other illnesses.
The UN health agency has cited initial, unconfirmed reports suggesting pneumonic plague, a severe disease less common than the better-known bubonic plague linked to the Black Death in the Middle Ages. Pneumonic plague spreads from person to person, causing a severe form of pneumonia, but recovery rates are high if it is detected and treated in time.
WHO, in its first full Disease Outbreak News since the case emerged earlier this month, called for a continued investigation.
Russian health officials, it said, had conducted more than 5,500 tests and found no evidence of any dangerous pathogenic microorganisms.
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