Share to ClassroomWHO Wants Answers on Lab Worker's Death
A 28-year-old woman who worked in a laboratory in Russia died on October 2. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it still does not know why. She worked at an institute in Siberia that studies plague and other dangerous diseases. Some local reports said she had lung plague. This is a rare type of plague that can pass from person to person. But Russian officials say she died of pneumonia, a lung illness, with an unknown cause.
There are rules for this kind of case. Under the International Health Regulations (IHR) , countries must tell the WHO about a serious health event within 24 hours. Russia signed these rules. But NPR (National Public Radio) says the WHO first heard about the death from the news. Russia answered the WHO 's questions three days later. It said there was no plague and about 200 people were in quarantine, kept away from others. One expert said Russia's answer was slow and incomplete.
Russia says many tests found no dangerous germs, and the quarantine is over. In the United States, health officials announced checks for travellers from the region at a New York airport, but they say the risk is very low. Doctors can treat plague with antibiotics if they find it early. One expert said international rules on sharing health information are weak.
