Cyprus health ministry monitors suspected plague case in Russia, says no cause for concern

Nicosia, Cyprus. The health ministry said on Wednesday that it was closely monitoring a reported plague case in Russia, stressing that there was no reason for concern.

Plague diagnosis remains unconfirmed

Christos Charalambous, head of the ministry’s epidemiological surveillance and control of infectious diseases unit, said the case concerned a research institute in Irkutsk, eastern Russia, and was reportedly caused by pneumonic plague.

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However, he said Russian authorities had classified the incident as a death from pneumonia of unspecified cause.

“But, in general, there is still no confirmation that it concerns plague,” he said.

Risk assessment ongoing

Charalambous said that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the risk to the general population in Cyprus and Europe was low. He added that the risk assessment was ongoing.