Russia's consumer watchdog has confirmed only that an employee of an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk Region contracted pneumonia of unknown origin. This official statement stands in stark contrast to days of rumors claiming a young lab worker died of suspected plague and that hundreds were quarantined.
The Russian consumer watchdog stated that no microorganisms linked to her professional activity were identified in the patient's samples and that no health changes related to infectious pathology were found among her contacts. A commission also inspected the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk for biological safety compliance and found no emergency situations involving pathogenic microorganisms.
Contradictory statements from local officials fueled international speculation. Governor Igor I. Kobzev of Irkutsk held an extraordinary meeting regarding a suspected case of a particularly dangerous infection. Governor Aleksei Tsydenov of the neighboring Buryatia region was the first to officially raise the prospect of plague. Mayor Maksim N. Modin of Shelekhov confirmed the local hospital's inpatient department was closed for quarantine before urging residents not to spread rumors.
With the Kremlin urging people to ignore speculation, the consumer watchdog added that the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region remained stable.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing