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Russian authorities tried to calm the concern raised this Monday by the death of a worker at an institute specializing in pneumonic plague in Siberia, by assuring that tests carried out after her death did not detect any traces of the disease and that the situation is "under control."
The death of Daria Chipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, had caused alarm after a news outlet reported that she might have contracted pneumonic plague following the breaking of a test tube.
However, a special commission of experts concluded that the cause of death was "pneumonia of indeterminate etiology," stated the governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev.
The investigation carried out by the Russian health agency Rospotrebnadzor determined that "no microorganism related to the young woman's professional activity was detected in her biological samples," said the regional official on Telegram.
Kobzev further assured that the health situation in the region is "stable" and that no other institute employee has sought medical attention since the death became known.
"The situation remains under our control and that of the experts," he stated.
For his part, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asked journalists to "refer to official communications from Rospotrebnadzor instead of rumors and speculation."
Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. Its pneumonic form is highly contagious and can be fatal if not treated quickly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
[Publicidad]