WHO seeks Russian data on suspected plague death in Irkutsk

The World Health Organization says it lacks sufficient information to conduct a full risk assessment of a suspected plague death of a laboratory technician in Russia, urging Moscow for greater transparency. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that rapid and complete information sharing is critical to clarify conflicting reports. Russian health authorities deny any epidemic risk, stating the sanitary situation in the Irkutsk region is calm and no evidence links the woman's lung infection to pathogens she worked with. Several hospitals are in quarantine, and her close contacts are monitored, with no other positive tests for plague. The case has prompted requests for openness from the US and EU, with some speculating pneumonic plague, a rare form caused by Yersinia pestis. Norway's FHI is monitoring the situation, noting standard measures like contact tracing and antibiotics could contain any spread.