New Delhi, September 5: Russian authorities have quarantined a hospital in Siberia and begun monitoring people who came into contact with an employee of a plague research institute who died after developing pneumonia of an unknown cause, AP reported. The woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in southeastern Siberia. Local state television reported that she died last week at a hospital in Shelekhov, a town near Irkutsk.
As per the report, the case has raised concerns after unconfirmed media reports suggested that she may have died from pneumonic plague, a severe form of plague that can spread between people. However, Russian authorities said they had found no evidence linking her illness to any of the pathogens she worked with.
Shelekhov Mayor Maxim Modin said the hospital was placed under quarantine on Friday. It stopped admitting or discharging patients, while its laboratory suspended routine testing. The outpatient clinic continued to operate normally. Anna Popova, head of Russia’s public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, travelled to Irkutsk and met with regional Governor Igor Kobzev and other officials.
Kobzev said everyone who had been in contact with the woman was under medical supervision. Without identifying the infection, he described it as a suspected case of “a particularly dangerous infection”. Rospotrebnadzor said Sunday that the woman had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology”, meaning its cause had not been established. The agency said extensive testing found “no microorganisms associated with the patient’s professional activities”.
It also said there had been no incidents at the research institute involving pathogenic microorganisms. According to Rospotrebnadzor, two people who had contact with the woman tested positive for a virus that causes the common cold, while two others tested positive for COVID-19. All other people tested so far were negative.
Also Read: British Airways Flight Makes Emergency Return To Heathrow After Rapid Descent
