Laboratory Worker Dies from Suspected Plague in Russia; Nearly 200 People Under Surveillance
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
The death of a worker at a laboratory studying the plague in Russia has led authorities to place at least one hospital under quarantine and reportedly keep nearly 200 people under medical observation until Monday. An employee of the Anti-Plague Institute of Irkutsk in Siberia and the Far East died last week from 'pneumonia of undetermined origin,' according to regional governor Igor Kobsev. Kobsev stated that no 'microorganisms linked to the professional activities of the employee' were detected in her body and that there have been 'no new cases' of illness among other laboratory workers. 'The sanitary-epidemiological situation' in the area 'is currently stable,' Kobsev affirmed. On Friday, Maksim Modin, mayor of the municipal district of Shelekhov near the border with Mongolia, said that the hospitalization center where the worker was reportedly treated had been closed for quarantine. Russian media cited officials indicating that nearly 200 people who had been in contact with the woman were placed under preventive medical observation. Russian media have named the woman and identified her as 28 years old; these details have not been confirmed by authorities. Meanwhile, there have been international calls for more information and greater transparency from Moscow. 'Many details have not been confirmed,' said a State Department spokesperson. 'We urge Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.' The spokesperson noted reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
