06/10/2026
The UN health agency said on Tuesday that it has been in contact with Russian authorities following reports of the death last week of a woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.
The case and the investigation, led by Russian officials, have revived memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and allegations that the coronavirus may have emerged at a Chinese lab. WHO has not provided a definitive answer to how the pandemic began.
Hereโs what to know about the case and how experts are mobilizing after the womanโs death: Pneumonic plague is a form of the disease that affects the lungs.
The incubation period for pneumonic plague โ which means lung-based and is the most virulent form of the disease โ can be as short as 24 hours, according to WHO. Itโs a less common but severe form that can spread between people through respiratory particles.
If untreated, the illness can be fatal, but recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time โ within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, WHO says.
Symptoms include shortness of breath and coughing, often involving the coughing up of blood.
Through an international health alert system, Russian health officials on Tuesday said a full range of preventive measures had been carried out โ including tracing of the deceased womanโs contacts, medical monitoring and lab tests.
โTest results showed no presence of dangerous infectious disease pathogens in any of the contacts,โ said the note from Russian authorities, which was relayed to The Associated Press by WHO. | via Associated Press