WHO demands transparency from Russia on suspected Siberian plague case

The World Health Organization said it lacks sufficient information about a suspected plague case in Siberia following a lab worker's death, while Russia denies any epidemic risk. Mongolia has heightened border vigilance, and other countries demand more transparency. Russian authorities confirmed the death of a 28-year-old laboratory technician in Irkutsk but attributed it to pneumonia of undetermined origin. Rospotrebnadzor stated over 90% of contacts were monitored with no health issues detected, and expert commissions found no emergency involving pathogenic microorganisms. The Kremlin dismissed media reports as false and urged calm, while the U.S. embassy in Moscow warned citizens of a possible pneumonic plague outbreak. Russian officials have avoided using the word "plague," and some media outlets removed related articles.