Russia and WHO Downplay Plague Risk After Lab Worker Death

Russian authorities denied imposing special plague measures after a lab technician's reported death, insisting the epidemiological situation is stable. The cause of death remains unconfirmed, with officials citing pneumonia as the conclusion but the cause "indeterminate." The sanitary watchdog rejected claims of special measures, following reports the technician may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube. Up to 200 contacts were reportedly quarantined, though tests found no dangerous pathogens among them. The WHO assessed the risk as moderate-to-low for the region, low for Russia, and very low for Europe. A conference on plague is scheduled in Irkutsk for October 21-22.