Russia Dismisses Reports of Second Suspected Plague Case
· World · Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, The Independent
Russia has rejected media reports of a second suspected case of pneumonic plague in Siberia, following a request from the World Health Organization for formal clarification. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that the vast majority of media reports regarding the situation are false. The global concern arose after a 28-year-old female worker at a plague research institute in Irkutsk died from pneumonia of unknown origin. The WHO and health authorities from the US and the European Union have urged Moscow to maintain transparency while investigating the cause of the infection. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the risk to the US remains extremely low.
Why it matters
International health bodies are closely monitoring the situation in Siberia to ensure transparency and prevent any potential cross-border transmission of an unidentified pathogen.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.