A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia, Russia, recently died, prompting concern from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has requested further information from Russia after reports surfaced of another employee developing pneumonia. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the organization cannot complete a full risk assessment due to a lack of complete information. Both the United States and the European Union have also called for greater transparency from Russia regarding the cause of illness and potential pathogens. Russian authorities, however, dismiss fears of a new epidemic, stating the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region is stable, according to Rospotrebnadzor. The lack of full disclosure is hindering a comprehensive evaluation of the potential threat.