Authorities in Irkutsk region say medical monitoring of all identified contacts of a woman whose death was linked to plague in media reports has ended without signs of infectious disease or dangerous microorganisms, Governor Igor Kobzev said on October 8.
Kobzev said the woman had died of community-acquired pneumonia. Russian authorities have not confirmed plague as the cause of death, although the outlet People of Baikal reported that diagnosis and suggested the research institute employee may have been infected after a test tube broke.
The governor cited information from Rospotrebnadzor and described the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and Shelekhov as stable. He also said preventive measures in the region had been completed.
The World Health Organization said on October 7 that it had asked Russia for additional details about laboratory tests on the woman and her contacts, as well as the reasons for the public-health measures. WHO said it did not yet have a complete picture needed to assess the risk.
The regional authorities' account of the monitoring therefore does not confirm reports of an outbreak. Russian officials attribute the woman's death to pneumonia, while the international agency has requested more information.