Russia warns of 'false' information as second plague case reported

Russia warned against false information in Moscow on Wednesday as reports emerged of a second suspected plague case in Siberia. A 28-year-old employee at a plague research institute in Irkutsk died after being diagnosed by authorities with pneumonia of undetermined cause. Russia said there were no epidemic risks, while the United States, European Union and WHO urged transparency and Mongolia tightened border health surveillance.

Rospotrebnadzor said more than 90 percent of contacts had completed medical observation without detecting infectious-pathology disorders.

The Russian health agency said almost 5,000 laboratory tests found no dangerous pathogenic microorganisms.

Rospotrebnadzor said the deceased woman had been vaccinated and had immunity to the dangerous infections handled at the institute.

The WHO assessed the risk as moderate to low for the Irkutsk region, low for Russia overall and very low for Europe.

Mongolia said health surveillance and monitoring measures were being implemented at its border with Russia.

Published Oct 8, 2026 12:58 am KST

A view of the entrance to the grounds of the anti-plague institute in the city of Irkutsk, Wednesday. AFP-Yonhap

MOSCOW — Russia warned Wednesday against "false" information as reports emerged of a second suspected case of plague in Siberia, with Washington and Brussels calling for transparency and neighbouring Mongolia tightening health surveillance.

Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported last Friday that a 28-year-old woman employed at a plague research institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region had died of the disease, possibly after contracting it from a broken test tube.

International concern has meanwhile grown over the death and suspicions that a second employee at the institute fell ill.

The United States, the European Union and the World Health Organization have all called on Russia to be transparent about the situation.

Mongolia's government said Wednesday that "health surveillance and monitoring measures (were) being implemented at the border" with Russia.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also urged Moscow to clarify "media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause" at the Irkutsk institute.

Russian authorities have played down the reports, determining the woman died of pneumonia and insisting there was no risk of an outbreak.

Asked about reports of a second case, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "the vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information".

People should rely solely on official statements from Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, he insisted.

The Russian health agency meanwhile said Wednesday that it had determined "there are no epidemic risks for the population".

It said exensive investigations had uncovered "no emergencies" and that the lab had complied with "proper control when working with pathogenic microorganisms".

"More than 90 percent of contacts have completed medical observation," it added.

"No health disorders associated with infectious pathology were detected," it said, adding that "the results of almost 5,000 laboratory tests did not reveal any dangerous pathogenic microorganisms".

The agency also said the woman had been "vaccinated and had immunity to dangerous infections with which she worked".

Plague is a bacterial disease that can occur in several forms, including pneumonic plague, the most contagious type, which can spread through respiratory droplets.

Bubonic plague is transmitted by infected fleas.

Pneumonic plague can be fatal if not treated early, according to the WHO.

Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev said Monday that an inspection by Rospotrebnadzor had found the woman died of "pneumonia of undetermined aetiology".

"No microorganisms linked to the young woman's professional work were found in her biological samples," he said, adding no other staff at the institute had sought medical attention since her death.

Those assurances have done little to quell international concern.

The United States made a formal request pressing Russia for information, a source close to the matter said Tuesday, while US President Donald Trump said he had "a call scheduled" with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and would speak with him "very soon".

Asked about this, Peskov insisted Wednesday that he had "no information" regarding a formal US request for clarification, nor about a call scheduled between the two leaders.

European Commission spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova meanwhile called Wednesday for Russia to "share timely and transparent reporting" about the reported plague case.

While determining there were no epidemic risks, Rospotrebnadzor said it had implemented a set of "anti-epidemic measures" as a precaution and in line with sanitary legislation.

It also stressed that it had shared information with the WHO in accordance with international health regulations.

The WHO said Tuesday that its initial risk assessment, based on the information available, was moderate to low for the Irkutsk region, low for Russia as a whole and very low for Europe.

周三，莫斯科方面就西伯利亚疑似出现第二例鼠疫病例的报道发出警告，提醒民众警惕虚假信息。一名28岁的伊尔库茨克鼠疫研究所工作人员在被当局诊断为病因不明的肺炎后死亡。俄罗斯方面表示不存在疫情爆发的风险，而美国、欧盟和世界卫生组织则敦促各方保持透明，蒙古也加强了边境卫生监测。

俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和福利监督局表示，超过90%的密切接触者已完成医学观察，未发现传染病病理状况。

俄罗斯卫生机构表示，近5000项实验室检测未发现危险的致病微生物。

俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和福利监督局表示，死者曾接种过疫苗，对该研究所处理的危险传染病具有免疫力。

世界卫生组织评估认为，伊尔库茨克地区的风险为中等至低，俄罗斯整体风险为低，欧洲风险为极低。

蒙古国表示，正在其与俄罗斯接壤的边境地区实施卫生监测措施。

发布于2026年10月8日凌晨12:58（韩国标准时间）

周三，伊尔库茨克市抗疫研究所入口处的景象。（法新社/韩联社）

莫斯科——周三，俄罗斯警告不要散布“虚假”信息。此前有报道称，西伯利亚出现第二例疑似鼠疫病例。华盛顿和布鲁塞尔呼吁保持透明，邻国蒙古则加强了卫生监测。

俄罗斯新闻媒体“贝加尔人民”上周五报道称，一名在西伯利亚伊尔库茨克地区一家鼠疫研究所工作的 28 岁女子死于该疾病，可能是由于接触破损的试管而感染。

与此同时，国际社会对这起死亡事件以及该研究所第二名员工患病的怀疑越来越表示关注。

美国、欧盟和世界卫生组织都呼吁俄罗斯就疫情形势保持透明。

蒙古政府周三表示，正在与俄罗斯接壤的边境地区实施“健康监测和监控措施”。

世界卫生组织总干事谭德塞还敦促莫斯科澄清有关伊尔库茨克研究所“第二名员工患有不明原因肺炎”的媒体报道。

俄罗斯当局淡化了这些报道，认定该女子死于肺炎，并坚称不存在疫情爆发的风险。

当被问及有关第二起病例的报道时，克里姆林宫发言人德米特里·佩斯科夫告诉记者，“媒体报道的有关这种情况的大部分都是虚假信息”。

他坚持认为，人们应该只相信俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和福利监督局（Rospotrebnadzor）的官方声明。

与此同时，俄罗斯卫生机构周三表示，已确定“民众不存在流行病风险”。

声明称，经过广泛的调查，没有发现“任何紧急情况”，并且该实验室在处理致病微生物时遵守了“适当的控制措施”。

声明还补充说：“超过90%的密切接触者已完成医学观察。”

声明称“未检测到与传染病相关的健康问题”，并补充说“近 5000 项实验室检测结果未发现任何危险的致病微生物”。

该机构还表示，这名女子“接种过疫苗，对她所接触的危险传染病具有免疫力”。

鼠疫是一种细菌性疾病，可分为多种类型，其中最具传染性的是肺鼠疫，可通过呼吸道飞沫传播。

鼠疫是由受感染的跳蚤传播的。

世界卫生组织表示，肺鼠疫若不及时治疗可能致命。

伊尔库茨克州州长伊戈尔·科布泽夫周一表示，俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和福利监督局的调查发现，该女子死于“病因不明的肺炎”。

他说：“在她的生物样本中没有发现与这位年轻女性的职业工作相关的微生物”，并补充说，自她去世以来，该研究所的其他工作人员也没有寻求医疗救助。

这些保证并未能平息国际社会的担忧。

一位知情人士周二表示，美国已正式向俄罗斯提出要求，敦促其提供相关信息。与此同时，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普表示，他已安排与俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京通话，并将“很快”与他交谈。

当被问及此事时，佩斯科夫周三坚称，他“没有收到任何关于美国正式要求澄清的信息”，也没有收到任何关于两位领导人之间计划通话的信息​​。

与此同时，欧盟委员会发言人伊娃·赫恩西罗娃周三呼吁俄罗斯“及时、透明地报告”有关已报告的鼠疫病例。

俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和福利监督局表示，虽然确定不存在疫情风险，但已根据卫生法规，采取了一系列“防疫措施”作为预防措施。

该公司还强调，已按照国际卫生条例与世界卫生组织分享了相关信息。

世界卫生组织周二表示，根据现有信息，其初步风险评估显示，伊尔库茨克地区的风险等级为中等至低，俄罗斯整体风险等级为低，欧洲风险等级为极低。