US, WHO request details from Russia amid reports of second pneumonia case
Amid global public health concerns surrounding the death of an Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East worker, the World Health Organization noted in a statement issued Tuesday on the X account of Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that it had requested more information from Russia regarding the matter, including on "media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause."
"The individual died on 2 October 2026 after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Initial media reports suggested pneumonic plague following an alleged accidental laboratory exposure," the WHO statement noted.
"In response to WHO’s verification request under the International Health Regulations, the Russian health authorities reported that no case of plague had recently been registered in Irkutsk oblast. They informed WHO that an epidemiological investigation had been conducted, preventive and control measures implemented, and identified contacts placed under medical observation and tested. They reported that no high-threat pathogens had been detected among the contacts and that medical observation of all identified contacts had been completed," the statement explained.
"WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, and media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause," the statement notes.
Reuters reported that when questioned about the WHO's request to respond to reports of a second individual in Siberia allegedly becoming sick, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called for caution when it comes to media reporting.
"There is a great deal of media coverage, and the vast majority of what the media are reporting about this situation is false information," Peskov said, according to the outlet.
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The U.S. State Department has formally requested more information from the Russian government regarding the death of the woman who worked at the anti-plague research facility, issuing what is known as a démarche, defined as a request or intercession with a foreign official.
"We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government," a U.S. State Department spokesperson noted. "We are also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information."
Fox News Channel senior foreign policy correspondent Gillian Turner reported that State Department health experts had been in touch with Russia's foreign ministry about the public health matter since Friday, but that the démarche arose due to Russian officials being unforthcoming via back channels.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted in a post on Tuesday that the "CDC is aware of and closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia that resulted in a death. We are working across the U.S. government to assess developments as additional information becomes available.
"While the circumstances of this reported case remain unconfirmed, plague is a serious bacterial disease that is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when recognized and treated early. Pneumonic plague can spread person-to-person through respiratory droplets during close contact, which is why rapid identification and treatment of infected individuals, and monitoring of potentially exposed individuals, are important public health measures.
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"At this time, there is no indication of a broader threat to the United States, but CDC and our interagency partners are prepared and will continue to monitor the situation closely," the CDC's post concluded.
Fox News Channel's Nick Kalman and Gillian Turner contributed to this report.