Kremlin Rejects Reports Of Second Suspected Plague Case

Novosibirsk: (Web Desk) The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected reports of a second suspected plague case in Siberia, saying much of the media coverage surrounding the incident was false.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks while responding to questions about reports of another employee at a plague research facility who was suffering from pneumonia of undetermined cause.

“Most of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information,” Peskov told reporters, urging the public to rely on official information issued by Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.

The comments came as the United States, European Union and World Health Organization called on Moscow to provide greater transparency over the reported death of a laboratory technician in Siberia’s Irkutsk region.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also urged Russia to clarify reports concerning a second employee who was reportedly suffering from pneumonia of an undetermined cause.

Peskov said he had no information about any formal request from Washington seeking clarification over the incident. A source familiar with the matter had previously claimed that the United States sent such a request through a confidential diplomatic communication known as a demarche.

Russian outlet People of Baikal reported that the deceased technician, identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, may have contracted pneumonic plague following a laboratory accident involving a broken test tube.

Other reports have also suggested a possible connection between her death and an accident at the research facility. People of Baikal further reported that as many as 200 people who may have come into contact with her were placed under quarantine.

Russian authorities, however, have maintained that the cause of death has not been confirmed. Rospotrebnadzor has also rejected reports circulating online that special anti-plague measures had been introduced.

The European Union on Wednesday urged Russia to provide timely and transparent information regarding the reported death of the laboratory technician.

European Commission spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova said reliable epidemiological and microbiological findings were needed to clarify the situation.

She said the EU was in contact with experts at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and was closely monitoring developments.

The latest statements come amid continuing uncertainty over the reported laboratory death, with Russian authorities disputing claims that the woman died from plague and maintaining that no confirmed cause of death has been established.