WHO: Russian lab worker death cause uncertain, spread risk unassessable
The World Health Organization (WHO) has not received a confirmed cause of death for a Russian researcher. The WHO stated there is no evidence of spread of a known disease, but risk assessment remains difficult.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report on the events surrounding the death of a Russian infectious disease researcher, highlighting that Russia has yet to report a confirmed cause of death.
The WHO stated that with this "key uncertainty," it remains impossible to assess the risk of the event or whether the public health measures Russia took were adequate to prevent spread of the unknown disease. The UN health agency said it has seen no evidence of ongoing transmission of the mystery disease.
"Confidence in the assessment remains limited by the absence of a confirmed etiological diagnosis, and the remaining uncertainty regarding the source and mode of exposure," the agency wrote in its report. The report outlines the sequence of events as information emerged from Russian authorities, noting the WHO only became aware of the death via media reports on October 2.
The WHO subsequently contacted Russian authorities requesting information on October 3, 6, 7, and 8. Without a confirmed cause, the full implications and the necessary response remain unclear, according to the report.