WHO Questions Russia On Second Illness

The World Health Organization asked Russia for more details about a Siberian lab worker’s fatal pneumonia, including reports of a second employee with pneumonia. The United States also formally sought fuller disclosure through a diplomatic démarche, saying it needed the information to judge risk under international health rules. Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute employee, died after hospitalization with severe pneumonia. Reports alleged a broken test tube exposed her to plague bacteria; Russian health authorities deny any lab accident and say tests found no work-linked pathogen. Russia says no regional plague cases were registered and no epidemic risk remains. The cause is unresolved.