Russian Health Authorities Dismiss Second Plague Illness Rumors

Russian health authorities dismissed rumors of a second person falling ill after the death of a lab worker at a plague research institute in Siberia. The health regulator refuted claims of a second case of illness circulating on social media, stating that all contacts of the deceased woman were tested and found free of any infectious diseases. The 28-year-old employee, Daria Shipilova, died from pneumonia of unknown origin at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, triggering precautionary measures by Russian authorities. The World Health Organization considered the public health risk low but requested more information from Russian authorities. Health agencies in Canada and the U.S. are monitoring the situation, with no reported risks to their populations.