Russia Denies Second Plague Case

Russia denied that a second person was infected after contact with Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute who died on October 2 after severe pneumonia. Reports that she contracted pneumonic plague in a laboratory accident remain unconfirmed. The institute studies plague and other dangerous pathogens, and pneumonic plague can spread between people but is treatable with prompt antibiotics. Russian health authorities said tests found no work-linked pathogen, no biosafety emergency and no registered plague case in the region. They placed about 200 contacts under quarantine or observation, then said most were released. The WHO says it still lacks enough information to assess the risk.