The World Health Organization has assessed the risk of community transmission of pneumonia of unknown etiology, detected in an employee of a research institute in Russia's Irkutsk region. Christian Lindmeier, an official spokesperson for the organization, reported this to TASS.

According to him, available data indicate that the risk to the public is low. Individuals who had contact with the deceased have been identified and are under medical observation. No signs of the disease were found in approximately 200 of these contacts.

On October 2, the media reported the death of a 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East at a hospital in the city of Shelekhov. A quarantine was declared at the Shelekhov hospital where she had been admitted. Later, the district mayor confirmed that the hospital's inpatient facility had been closed for quarantine, while the outpatient clinic remained open.

Initially, authorities did not disclose the cause of death, referring instead to a "highly dangerous infection." Some media outlets, citing unofficial sources, reported cases of pneumonic plague. Alexei Tsydenov, the head of Buryatia, wrote that, according to Rospotrebnadzor, the woman had not traveled to the republic. Later, as “Novaya Gazeta” reports, Rospotrebnadzor stated that the woman had been diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology and that no microorganisms linked to her professional activities were detected. The agency assesses the epidemiological situation in the region as stable. Epidemiologist Gennady Onishchenko, according to TASS, expressed skepticism regarding the theory that it was the plague.

According to the publication “Profil”, at least 189 contacts were taken to hospitals for observation; at that time, there was no laboratory confirmation of the dangerous infection in their cases. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov urged people to rely on official statements from Rospotrebnadzor and disregard rumors. According to Meduza, US and EU authorities have stated that they are monitoring the situation.