The European Commission is pressing Russia for “timely and transparent reporting” over a suspected case of pneumonic plague in Siberia, as EU health authorities assess whether the incident poses any risk to Europe.
Brussels is consulting the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) over the case, Commission spokesperson Eva Hrnčířová told reporters on Wednesday.
“We have called already for Russia to share timely and transparent reporting about this incident,” she said. “We think that it’s necessary to have reliable epidemiological and microbiological findings.”
The case centres on a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute who died on 2 October after developing severe pneumonia. Russian authorities have said the cause of death was pneumonia of unknown origin and have denied that she was infected with plague.
We think that it’s necessary to have reliable epidemiological and microbiological findings.
— Eva Hrnčířová, European Commission spokesperson
The conflicting information has nevertheless prompted precautionary measures in Russia.
Around 200 people who had contact with the woman were placed under medical observation. More than 60 colleagues at the institute were reportedly isolated. The hospital where she was treated was also placed under quarantine.
No confirmed plague transmission
Russian authorities say tests have not detected plague or another dangerous pathogen among the woman’s contacts. They say there is no risk of an epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has meanwhile been seeking additional information from Moscow.
The ECDC said there is currently no evidence of secondary cases or sustained human-to-human transmission. The centre assessed the risk to the EU as very low.
Pneumonic plague is a severe form of plague that can spread through respiratory droplets during close contact. It can, however, be treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early.
The EU’s Health Security Committee is also discussing the incident. The body brings together the Commission and member states to assess the available information and coordinate any response if necessary.
For now, Brussels is not planning emergency measures.
The Commission’s focus is instead on establishing what happened and whether the Russian authorities’ assessment can be independently supported by epidemiological and microbiological evidence. “We are also in touch with our experts from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and we follow the situation,” Hrnčířová said.
The incident has also prompted precautionary measures in neighbouring countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. No further suspected cases of pneumonic plague have been reported, and there is no evidence of sustained transmission. EU authorities therefore currently see no indication of an immediate threat to Europe.
