European Commission monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia
The European Commission is monitoring a suspected outbreak of pneumonic plague in Siberia "very closely" and is prepared to coordinate a response among member states if necessary.
Source: a European Commission spokesperson on Monday 5 October, quoted by Euronews, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The European Commission stressed that it is "aware of the reports concerning the laboratory incident in Russia, seemingly involving a pathogen causing plague".
Quote from the spokesperson: "Public health is always a priority for us, so we are in touch with our experts from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. We monitor very closely what is going on."
More details: The European Commission also stressed that the international community is "much better prepared for any pandemics" following COVID-19. The spokesperson said countries have stocks of antibiotics available.
The European Commission is using the World Health Organisation's channels to get updates from the Russian authorities.
According to local Russian media outlets, 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, an employee of the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute in Irkutsk Oblast, eastern Siberia, broke a test tube containing the pneumonic plague pathogen on 25 September.
She was admitted to hospital with symptoms of severe pneumonia on 29 September and died overnight on 1-2 October. Following her death, the authorities introduced a quarantine in several of the region's medical facilities and placed nearly 200 people who had been in touch with Shipilova under medical observation.
Russian media outlets speculated that Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague, but health authorities have not confirmed this diagnosis.
Media reports indicate that the White House is monitoring reports of a suspected plague case and related quarantine measures in Russia.
Background: An outbreak of hantavirus occurred on a cruise ship in May. The first batches of an experimental antiviral drug to treat hantavirus were sent to France, Spain and the Netherlands.
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