Russia's secrecy over suspected plague death mirrors Soviet patterns
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 15:55 · Archive
A worker at a Siberian research institute died last week in circumstances unconfirmed reports blamed on pneumonic plague, but Russia's health authority told the WHO the cause was pneumonia of unknown origin.
A worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in southeastern Siberia died last week. Russia's public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor told the World Health Organization that no case of plague had been registered in the Irkutsk region and that the worker contracted pneumonia of 'unknown' origin. Tests found no evidence the illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with at the institute.
Unconfirmed reports in Russia blamed the death on pneumonic plague. Media reports also stated that a second employee at the institute had pneumonia of undetermined cause. The WHO urged Russia to provide more information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia and the pathogen that prompted public health measures.
The limited official disclosure follows longstanding patterns. The Kremlin has maintained a culture of secrecy over public health emergencies, industrial disasters and accidents, often covering up the truth for years. These practices echo Soviet-era approaches to managing information about outbreaks of infectious diseases and other crises.
How it is being reported
- Moscow’s secrecy about a suspected plague case follows a pattern from the Soviet eraThe Kremlin has long maintained a culture of secrecy when it comes to controlling public information, especially involving accidents -- from industrial disasters to health emergencies.Clickorlando · 8 Oct, 15:32
- Moscow’s secrecy about a suspected plague case follows a pattern from the Soviet eraThe Kremlin has long maintained a culture of secrecy when it comes to controlling public information, especially involving accidents -- from industrial disasters to health emergencies.News4Jax · 8 Oct, 15:32
In this story: Russia · Irkutsk · Siberia · World Health Organization · Rospotrebnadzor · Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East · Kremlin
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