WHO Unable to Fully Assess Suspected Plague Case in Russia

The World Health Organization said Wednesday it cannot conduct a full risk assessment after a suspected plague case in Russia, citing an incomplete picture of the situation. The agency retracted its earlier moderate-to-low risk estimate for the region. The case involves a 28-year-old laboratory technician who died in Irkutsk, Siberia, possibly after a test tube broke. The WHO has urged Russia to provide more information, noting Moscow responded three days after the initial request, exceeding the 24-hour deadline under international health regulations. Russian authorities deny any epidemic risk and report no recent plague cases, though about 200 contacts are in quarantine. The WHO is also investigating reports of a second employee with pneumonia and says the cause of death remains unknown.