Geneva, Oct. 7 -- World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency has sought further information from Russia over the death of a laboratory worker in Irkutsk after severe pneumonia, saying WHO does not yet have the full picture of the incident to conduct a complete risk assessment.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Tedros said initial media reports had suggested a suspected case of pneumonic plague following an accidental laboratory exposure at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute.

"Last Friday, October 2, the first media reports emerged of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute in the Russian Federation," Tedr...