Reports of 2nd Case Linked to Siberian Plague Lab Are False: Russian Regulator

This undated photo released in 2019 by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, shows the institute workers in a lab. The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East via AP

Russia’s health regulator said Thursday that reports of a second person falling ill following the death of a worker at a plague research lab in Siberia are not true.

Preventive measures have been completed for all individuals who had contact with the worker from the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East who died last week, and no dangerous pathogenic microorganisms have been detected, the regulator also said.

The worker died on Oct. 2. The cause of death was pneumonia of unknown etiology, Russian officials have said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had suggested on Wednesday that reports of a second death were false. He said that people should rely on information from Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier in the week requested verification from Russia of reports of a second anti-plague institute worker dying.

Officials made the request after seeing two reports, one from the UK’s Mirror newspaper and another from a Serbian outlet, a WHO spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

The Mirror cited Russian news outlets without specifying any, while the Serbian outlet pointed to a report from the Daily Mail, another British publication, which cited unnamed local media.

Some local and international authorities have said that plague was suspected or being investigated as the cause of death.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This is a developing story that will be updated.