Russia says it properly informed WHO of plague institute worker's death, blasts media coverage

Russia Confirms Proper WHO Notification After Plague Lab Worker Death in Siberia

Kremlin Responds to International Concerns and Media Reports

Official Notification to WHO

MOSCOW, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Russia informed the World Health Organization about the death of a laboratory worker at a Siberian plague research institute last week in line with established procedures, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, accusing the media of providing false information about the case.

Diplomatic Tensions and Media Coverage

U.S. Diplomatic Complaint

Peskov was commenting on an ABC News report that the United States had lodged a formal diplomatic complaint over Russia's handling of the reported death, urging Moscow to provide greater transparency about the incident.

Incident Details and Quarantine Measures

The laboratory worker fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to quarantine dozens of people and dispatch the head of Russia's health watchdog to the Irkutsk region.

Official Statements and Public Reassurance

Addressing False Reporting

Peskov said much of the reporting surrounding the incident was false and that people should rely on information released by state health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.

Health Watchdog Findings

On Tuesday the watchdog said that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with the deceased, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.

International Communications

Potential Presidential Discussions

Peskov said no phone call had been scheduled at this point between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, who said on Tuesday that he would speak to Putin "very soon" about the case.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Dmitry AntonovWriting by Maxim RodionovEditing by Mark Trevelyan)