ULAN BATOR, Mongolia – Mongolian authorities have ordered increased health surveillance on their border with Russia following the death of a worker at a plague research laboratory in the Siberian region of Irkutsk.
The measure was announced on October 7 by the Mongolian
government, which instructed relevant agencies to implement preventative
measures and maintain constant vigilance to detect any potential risks related
to the case.
The Interior Ministry stated that, for the time being, the
risk level is low. It also confirmed that border crossings in the Selenge
province continue to operate normally, albeit under health supervision.
The concern arose after the death, on October 2, of a
28-year-old woman who worked at a plague research center in Siberia. Local
media reports suggested she may have contracted the disease, although Russian
authorities attributed her death to pneumonia of undetermined origin.
Russian authorities, for their part, have maintained that
there are no epidemic risks to the population. According to official reports,
investigations and tests carried out among the woman's contacts have not
confirmed the presence of dangerous pathogens related to the incident.