WHO asks Russia for details on suspected second plague case as Moscow calls reports false

The World Health Organization urged Moscow to respond to inquiries about a suspected second pneumonic plague case in Siberia, which Russia says is misinformation.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:24:06 GMT

The World Health Organization has asked Russia for more information about a suspected second case of pneumonic plague in Siberia, while the Kremlin says most media reports on the matter are false.

What happened

According to a senior WHO official, a possible second pneumonic plague case was reported in the Irkutsk region after a laboratory worker died of pneumonia of undetermined origin earlier in the week. The WHO said it had sent a formal request to Russian authorities for clarification.

Russia’s Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information.” He said any information about suspected cases should come from Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, which reported no infections among staff after the lab worker’s death.

What the reports add

CBS News noted that the WHO is demanding answers from Russia amid reports of a second suspected plague case, citing the agency’s request for clarification. The outlet did not provide a statement from Russian officials.

Al Jazeera reported the Kremlin’s dismissal of the reports, quoting Peskov and adding that Rospotrebnadzor said no infections were detected among staff. It also mentioned that the origin of the illness remains unknown, prompting international concern.

What was said

“The WHO demands answers from Russia on plague,” CBS News wrote, summarising the agency’s request.

“The vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, as reported by Al Jazeera.

How it came about

The current inquiry follows the death of a 28‑year‑old anti‑plague institute worker in Irkutsk on October 3, which led to around 200 people being placed under medical observation, as covered by Felo News in Lab worker dies in Siberia, nearly 200 placed under observation. The WHO had previously assessed the incident as presenting a very low risk outside Russia, a point noted in Felo’s October 7 article about a scheduled call between President Trump and President Putin on the Siberian plague.

Key facts

The WHO has asked Russia for clarification on a suspected second pneumonic plague case in Siberia. (cbsnews.com)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said most media reports about the case are false. (aljazeera.com)
Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor reported no infections among staff after the lab worker’s death. (aljazeera.com)

Where accounts differ

Existence of a second plague case: WHO reports a second suspected case of pneumonic plague. (cbsnews.com); Russia dismisses reports of a second case as false information. (aljazeera.com)