The European Commission has intensified its demands for Russia to release comprehensive details about a suspected plague case in Siberia, aligning with calls from Washington and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for greater transparency.
Moscow, however, has dismissed concerns, insisting there is no threat of an epidemic.
“Let me say, for the third time this week in the press room: Russia should make information about the plague available as soon as possible,” Eva Hrncirova, the Commission’s health spokesperson, told reporters on Thursday. “We don’t have enough information to assess the epidemiological situation, to assess the risks for other countries and to take appropriate measures, if necessary.”
The remarks came a day after the Commission convened the EU’s Health Security Committee, which brings together representatives from all 27 member states, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the WHO. The committee is designed to coordinate the bloc’s response to serious cross-border health threats, allowing national authorities to share intelligence, evaluate risks, and discuss potential countermeasures.
Wednesday’s session, however, ended without concrete decisions due to the absence of reliable data from Russia. The Commission said it stands ready to reconvene the committee at short notice should new information emerge or the situation worsen.
“We need information from Russia,” Hrncirova stressed. “It’s linked to the Russian membership in the WHO Europe: sharing timely, precise, exact information so that the experts can assess the situation because the situation can have cross-border implications.”
Given the lack of direct diplomatic channels between Brussels and Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU delegation in Moscow has reached out to the WHO’s office in Russia to convey its concerns. “Basically the whole world is waiting for the information from Russia,” Hrncirova added.
What is known about the case
The case centres on a female laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute in south-eastern Siberia, who died on 2 October under unclear circumstances. Her death was initially attributed to “pneumonia of unknown aetiology,” triggering global alarm and intense scrutiny.
Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s public health watchdog, says the lab worker was “vaccinated and had immunity to the dangerous infections she was working with,” and that nearly 5,000 laboratory tests have detected no dangerous pathogens. More than 90% of those who had contact with her have completed medical monitoring after being placed under strict observation, the agency said.
The WHO has requested specific details to clarify the cause of death, the pathogen that prompted quarantine measures, and a reported second case, which Moscow has called “false.” The United States has also urged Russia to provide accurate and timely information. President Donald Trump said he had scheduled a call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to discuss the suspected outbreak.
“We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government. We are also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
The incident has revived historical anxieties about plague, though modern antibiotics and surveillance make large outbreaks unlikely. As analysis of past plague outbreaks in Germany shows, the disease’s epidemiology is well understood, but timely data sharing remains critical for containment.
For the EU, the episode underscores the fragility of health cooperation with Russia, which has deteriorated since the invasion of Ukraine. The bloc has already expanded sanctions against Moscow over hybrid threats, and this health scare adds another layer of tension.
Meanwhile, residents in Irkutsk are weighing the risks, as local reactions reflect a mix of concern and scepticism. The EU’s health security framework, built on mutual trust and rapid information exchange, is being tested by Russia’s reluctance to cooperate.
