US, WHO request details from Russia amid reports of second pneumonia case

Amid global public health concerns surrounding the death of an Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East worker, the World Health Organization noted in a statement issued Tuesday on the X account of Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that it had requested more information from Russia regarding the matter, including on "media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause."

"The individual died on 2 October 2026 after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia.