Putin ordered to offer solutions about ‘second black plague dying’ by WHO
The tyrant has been urged to share information about the suspected outbreak of the ‘Black Death’ after independent media outlets in Russia claimed two people have died
Fears have been sparked that an outbreak of the Black Death may have hit Russia (Image: TV)
Health chiefs at the World Health Organisation (WHO) have demanded Vladimir Putin answer questions about claims a second person has died from a suspected outbreak of the Black Death plague. The WHO director-general has stated Russia must share more information so they can understand what is happening in the far east region of the country.
The recent fears of a Black Death outbreak were sparked following the death of Darya Shipilova, 28, after she reportedly broke a test tube with live Yersinia pestis at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute.
Yersinia pestis is the bacterium which causes the deadly ailment and now the WHO are demanding answers from Russia. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, and media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he has asked Russia for answers(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The WHO demand comes after reports a second person in Russia has passed away from the suspected outbreak at an Irkutsk district hospital.
Independent Russian outlet The Insider reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has urged Russians to ignore unofficial claims.
He said: “One should rely on official statements from Rospotrebnadzor (the national public health agency) rather than listening to various rumors and speculation.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a statement(Image: MARTIAL TREZZINI/EPA/Shutterstock)
On Wednesday Russia’s health watchdog stated there were no epidemic risks to the population. Health regulator Rospotrebnadzor stated it had sent information from Irkutsk, Russia, to the WHO. The regulator said they found no signs of infection or dangerous pathogens after monitoring the region.
Rospotrebnadzor stated: “Preventive and anti-epidemic measures have been organised in full, and there are no epidemic risks for the population of Irkutsk or Irkutsk region.”
Despite state officials asserting that the public faces no risk, Russian security forces and health agencies have launched a containment effort in the region. Multiple medical centres have been shut and nearly 200 colleagues and contacts close to Darya Shipilova have been rounded up and isolated under guard.
The Black Death pandemic killed around 50 million people back in the day
Residents living in the same apartment block as Daria in Irkutsk said teams in full biological protection suits arrived at the building at 10pm on October 2, dousing the property in noxious chemical disinfectants. One operative dispatched by health regulator Rospotrebnadzor reportedly told bystanders: “Some girl died, a deadly dangerous virus.”
The Black Death – one of the worst pandemics in human history – ravaged Europe between 1346 and 1353, killing an estimated 50 million people.
It was caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis, which is spread by wild rodents, such as rats and fleas. It is believed to have started in Central Asia and spread around the world through trade.
