The World Health Organisation stated that a complete risk assessment remains impossible without receiving the full picture from Russia concerning a suspected plague death. Darya Shipilova, an employee at the anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk, passed away two days after developing symptoms resembling a common cold.
Furthermore, the WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that a full risk assessment cannot be completed without the complete picture. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO director of epidemic and pandemic management, questioned the cause of death if pneumonic plague was ruled out.
Russian authorities have already denied any link between Shipilova's passing and the institute where she worked. The White House has pressed Moscow for additional details regarding the case.
Donald Trump announced that he would speak with Vladimir Putin about the plague issue in the near future. Health officials in Irkutsk subsequently disinfected the two-storey brick building where Shipilova resided on multiple occasions.
